Before Her Time Runs Out
by QuatroPuppy
Summary: Ultear always knew that her time was precious, and that has never been more apparent than when she happens to encounter a very confused, beaten and cursed Gray. The question is: will she use that time to admit her growing feelings for him or will her heart stay forever frozen? The only problem being that Gray's time - and hence Ultear's time is running out.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**Summary (full) (edited 18/04/2014): Gray Fullbuster has recently become an S class mage of Fairy Tail. Frustrated with everyone implying that he doesn't yet have what it takes to complete an S class job on his own, Gray is thrown into a situation - and society - where nothing is as it seems. After stumbling out of a very confusing and deadly encounter he is saved by Ultear, who notices that Gray's injuries are not fully recovering and that he bears a strange mark. She is soon pitched in a race against time to save the cursed individual before he is completely broken. How does she cope when she also must deny her growing feelings for him?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. **

**Rated T for violence. **

**Pairing: Gray x Ultear**

**Yes, I am well aware of what happens in chapter 335. **

* * *

_..._

_..: **B**efore **H**er **T**ime **R**uns **O**ut :.._

_..._

_..: _**C**hapter **1 **_:.._

_..._

_..: **P**rologue :.._

…

* * *

_**C**urrently_

It was hot. Way too hot for the suffering ice mage. Gray panted, his breath catching as he shook uncontrollably. He attempted to wipe the beads of sweat that had been gathering on his brow but found he was unable to as sharp pain shot right up from his abdomen to his shoulder and his arm fell limply. _Damn it, I'm so useless right now. _He was in so many different types of discomfort; he had a deep cut across his stomach and several ribs were fractured. But by far the worst for him was the heat. As if being in the desert wasn't dangerous enough, Gray was an ice mage, meaning that he thrived in freezing cold temperatures; heat did not agree with him and the consequences of this environment were all too clear. He had a throbbing headache and his lips felt dry and cracked. He tried to lick them to regain the moisture but his tongue just felt like sandpaper.

He looked up for a moment squinting at the harsh rays of sunlight. He took in jutting crimson rocks set against the completely clear, deep blue sky. The horizon blurred and shimmered but Gray couldn't focus on the landscape anyway. _Am I really going to die in this place, without a single human around?_ A brief spat of dizziness took over and he swayed, eventually collapsing. His injuries caused no stain on the already blood red sand.

Darkness took over.

Time passed. As for how much, Gray did not know. He lazily opened his eyes to see the all too familiar red sand right in front of his face. Ignoring the pain, he placed his hand on the scorching ground – he swore he could hear it sizzle. He then lifted himself up slowly but it proved to be too much. He slumped back down but he would not give up. Not yet.

The only thing he could do was crawl. He knew that if he didn't get to some shade he would die from heatstroke. And so he crawled, painstakingly slow across the dune until he finally settled by a boulder which cast a long dark shadow - and oh how it was refreshing. With rays of sun no longer dazzling him he was finally able to focus on his injuries. He really hoped that the ribs would heal on their own since there was nothing he could do about them for now. His cut on the other hand could be helped to an extent. He tore off a long strip off his remaining clothing, bunched it up and pressed it against the wound. That should stop the bleeding for now.

Down to the second issue – the heat. Gray struggled against some unseen barrier to squeeze out some of the last of his magic. Unfortunately, he could only form a meagre lump of ice. _That'll have to do, _he thought as he greedily sucked on the ice, feeling the cool drips moisten his parched throat. While it was refreshing, he also coughed and sputtered a bit as he adjusted. Feeling slightly better for now, exhaustion prevailed and he let his eyes shutter as he drifted off once again.

Hours later he awoke once again. By now the shadowy fingers of evening were inducing their hold on the scorched landscape. Everything was so red, it was... surreal. Shades of violet met crimson where the dying light was retreating and the wind now felt slightly chilly. That was the height of the problem; Gray felt _cold_ and had started to _shiver_. It was wrong – he hadn't felt like this since before he began learning ice magic.

"I thought you'd never wake up." A nearby voice snarled. Gray darted his head around looking for the source. Suddenly the face of the boulder began to ripple, and a lump emerged which was revealed to be a head. The guy had beady, pure black eyes and jagged teeth. He was not fully human. Gray watched on in terror as the man's body fully formed. _Shit, not him again I don't have any magic to fight with..._

"How long have you been here?" He rasped.

"Oh? I've been following you the entire time." His hands slowly started to crack before they both transformed into large stone claws. A similar thing happened from his feet up to his knees. Gray was familiar with the magic of his opponent whom he'd fought only hours ago.

A cloud of dust began to form around the claw and the enemy spoke. "It's way more fun letting you escape only to crush your hope..." Gray turned away from the terrifying half human and hobbled away. _Can't fight, not like this, _he thought. This didn't get him very far as he was instantly struck down by a very heavy claw slash. The clawed monster stalked up to Gray and stood above him, glaring down and licking his lips.

"I honestly don't know what the Sage sees in you. You're just another human... You know we don't all follow her words. I'm going to enjoy killing you – slowly." He raised up his stone covered leg to stomp down on Gray's shin but before he could, he was hit by several gleaming objects from all directions.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on him or you'll have me to answer for!" The woman who had appeared spoke, and did not conceal her anger towards the monster who merely growled in response. Gray felt like his prayers had been answered at that moment as the woman continued attacking the horrible thing. The only action it could take was to defend against the rage fueled barrage of crystal balls and ice magic, unsuccessfully. Its end came when it was stabbed right through the chest with a sword.

"You're finished." She spat at the fallen monster which she had slain. After observing the figure for a good minute, she finally turned to Gray. He was too far out of it to recognise his saviour but in that moment all he could think of was how beautiful she was. She smiled and her dark purple hair whipped back and forth in the desert wind. However, she stopped smiling when she noticed Gray's predicament. She panicked and ran over to him but by the time she knelt beside him, he'd already lost consciousness.

* * *

...

_.: **E**nd **o**f **P**rologue :._

…

_.: **T**o **B**e **C**ontinued :._

…

* * *

**Well, this was somewhat of a preview. Tell me what you think, if I should continue etc. The next chapters will focus on everything leading up until this point and then what happens afterwards. Other chapters will most likely be longer than this one (edit 18/04/2014: up to 5 times longer). Be prepared, I update weekly and will try to keep this weekly update on Saturday for consistency. **

**This story will be quite quite different to my other stories; it will mostly focus on horror/suspense and mystery. In other words not humour/adventure, I want to expand. **

**Anyways, until next time please review – QuatroPuppy**


	2. Chapter 2 - S-Class Mage

_..._

_..: **B**efore **H**er **T**ime **R**uns **O**ut :.._

_..._

_..: _**C**hapter**2 **_:.._

_..._

_..: **S**-**C**lass **M**age :.._

…

* * *

_**T**wo **W**eeks **E**arlier_

Gray had finally done it. He had become an S-class mage of Fairy Tail. Oh, how long had he waited for this position, only, he'd wished that he was able to get there before Natsu to rub it in his face. That wasn't exactly how things had gone down.

Three months ago, on Tenroujima, with all other contestants eliminated, Gray and Natsu stood strong – both favourites to win. In the last match after all the other rounds, they fought tooth and nail until the both of them collapsed from magic exhaustion. That did not deter them though. They got up and continued to fight just as viciously _without_ magic, running on sheer determination and competitive energy alone. In the end, in an unheard of reversal, Master Makarov had decided to promote both Gray and Natsu but forbade them to go on missions for two weeks in order to recover.

We now find ourselves in this situation. With Gray and Natsu having been promoted to the coveted position, they'd been taking job after job. If anything, being S-class mages only added fuel to the fire which was their eternal competition. However, this was not all without its hitches.

"Gray you look terrible! You should get to the infirmary for a check up right away!" Mirajane shrieked. Before her was Gray, who had just walked in to the guildhall after his latest mission and sat casually at the bar as if nothing had happened. He wasn't fooling anyone. Mirajane saw everything, from the slight limp in his stride, to the way in which he was desperately suppressing his stripping habit to hide whatever injuries he had, and most of all his big fake smile.

"I'm fine!" He tried to come across as firm, but the shakiness in his voice prevailed. To compensate – and cover up – his fake smile grew.

"Yeah? You're not fooling anyone..." Mirajane accused.

"Why the hell do you even care?" he snapped. For a moment, he shocked even himself at the disdain he'd shown to the barmaid who was only trying to be attentive. However, he merely suppressed the guilt of that moment and carried on like usual. "Just get me something strong to drink," he mumbled.

"You know you can't drink away your problems, Gray," the silver haired mage warned.

"Who said I have problems?" The ice mage was furious, "who gets to decide all of a sudden that I have 'problems'? So what if I got injured a little, that's not a real problem! That's normal."

"I beg to differ..." A new presence entered the scene, and brushed back her long red hair with an armoured gauntlet. Gray spun around, still furious and glared at her, instantly regretting doing so. Erza looked down upon him with a straight face and judging eyes. Gray did the best he could not to shiver at this.

"You've been rushing head first into really dangerous missions without second thought. Why have you been taking so many damn jobs in the first place?" she continued.

"Why not? I'm an S-class mage now, I'm entitled to take those!"

"Responsibility is a large part of what entails being an S-class mage. You need to learn this. I mean, look at yourself..." She prodded him in the side, earning a flinch due to the man being sore all over. "Even Natsu isn't going off on his own. He at least takes Lucy or Wendy and has even asked me to accompany him on a few." She smiled.

Mentioning Natsu – and praising him for being more responsible than him – had been the wrong move on Erza's part. Gray was infuriated that she would insinuate such a thing, even if she did not directly say those words. He downed the shot of whiskey - which Mirajane had served him earlier while he was talking to Erza - and slammed the glass down on the bar surface.

"I'm leaving, " he said, scooting backwards on the barstool and pushing himself up. He walked out of the hall on his way home, leaving a slightly baffled Erza.

"At least take a day's rest before you go on another job!" the knight called after him.

"I know," he sighed, pushing the doors shut gently.

As soon as he'd left, Mirajane turned to Erza. "Why do you think he's been like this?"

"I... have no idea. I want to say it's for the money... or because he wants to beat Natsu at something. But there's obviously something else, and I don't think he'd ever be willing to share this with us." Her features were downcast as she said this.

"He sure has frozen up his heart." Mirajane's smile pulled through a little.

"What could you mean?" Erza asked.

"I'm not saying it's definite... but have you considered that he might be in love?"

Erza raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "With who? Lucy? Juvia?" she guessed.

"No, for him to be so, I dunno – depressed, and... distant, it has to be someone a bit more... difficult as it were..." Mirajane deduced.

"Difficult?" Erza blurted out but then switched to a more hushed tone of voice, "you mean like Natsu or something?"

Mirajane giggled at this. "As much as I'd _love _for that to happen I don't think that's the case_._"

"Then who?"

"Hmm... what about _you?_"

"Me?" Erza squeaked. _What if she's right? What if Gray is in love with me? Would I accept him? _As she continued to think about it she came to the conclusion that the thought wasn't so bad, he was definitely attractive and if it meant he would return to how he used to be then it would be even better. She was left with these thoughts for a while, hoping that Gray would indeed get out of this phase at the very least.

"Erza? Erza?" Mirajane's voice came through.

"Oh?" Erza appeared flustered, "sorry, I wasn't paying attention..."

"I was asking what you wanted to eat?"

* * *

_**T**he **N**ext **E**vening_

Gray had actually calmed down from the argument that was brought about by his return. After all, he had no reason to be angry at anyone; they were his guildmates and were just concerned about his safety. Still, it annoyed him to no end that they didn't think he was capable, or more so: responsible enough. That was the one that bothered him. He knew that eventually everyone would come around on the capability issue since he _was_ a powerful mage who had passed all the requirements for the higher rank. But the accusation that he lacked responsibility was unforgivable, or more so that Erza had implied that Natsu was more responsible than him. Like hell the flame eating bastard was! It was him who was always doing reckless and dangerous things and causing untold property damage, not to mention the damage he did to himself. Gray had heard the rumours of how he'd been trying to eat every single element just because of how successful Laxus' lightning was. On one particular occasion when Natsu attempted to eat Gray's ice magic, he'd been in bed sick for a week. _Heh, served him right,_ Gray chuckled internally.

The whole of that day Gray had spent sleeping. It was now around 6 o'clock and the ice mage had decided to take a hot bath. While he didn't usually enjoy submersing himself in heated water, it really did help to soothe his aching muscles. He could feel the tension being released as the water circulated around him and it felt quite pleasant compared to his normal icy baths although he wouldn't really last long in this heat.

Gray finally decided it was about time to get out. He had decided that he should go to the guild and apologise to Erza and Mirajane as he really did feel bad about snapping at them. He finished drying himself and left the bathroom to get dressed and head out.

* * *

_**F**airy **T**ail_

Gray didn't feel at all nervous as he neared the back of the guildhall where Erza was sat at a table with Lucy, chatting and eating a plate of strawberry cake while Lucy was talking about the latest book she was reading. Gray tapped her shoulder to gain her attention.

"Erm, Erza I'm sorry about yesterday. I was out of line..." he spoke, "I just wanted to tell you that." He noticed Mirajane walk over to the group so he continued, "Mirajane too. I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"Apology accepted," Erza replied. Standing up, she hugged the ice mage despite the fact that she was wearing armour. "Now, why don't you just join us here," she offered. Gray complied, choosing to sit next to Lucy on the bench. Lucy was confused about what Gray was apologising for but resolved herself to not pry into whatever it was.

"I forgive you Gray, you don't have to worry," Mirajane also joined, "I just wish you'd open up a bit more..."

Gray flinched a bit at this but decided against doing anything that he might regret later.

"Err, yeah maybe later..." he chuckled dryly, earning him a slight frown from the three women.

"Gray!" A shout came from the other side of the guildhall. The aforementioned turned his gaze to the source of the shout where Fairy Tail's fire dragon slayer was standing by the guild's entrance, his blue exceed not far behind him. Also with Natsu was Lisanna and a now 14 year old Wendy*, with her exceed as well.

Natsu scrambled to the table at which Gray, Erza and Lucy were seated. Wendy and Lisanna trudged not so eagerly after him.

"How was it Natsu?" Erza addressed the pink haired man who had only just returned from taking a mission with Lisanna and Wendy.

"It went great!" he proclaimed cheerfully, "I would have been so sick guarding that convoy if it weren't for Wendy's new even more powerful troia!"

Wendy blushed a bit at the complement, "well it's thanks to you Natsu-san for training me this past year so that I've been able to use a lot more magic."

"I see..." Erza said, "keep this up and I'm pretty sure that you'll make it to the S-class trials next year." Erza ruffled the girl's blue hair, causing her to blush even more. "Oh, and Natsu, good job, I heard you really kept the damage down this time."

As the group continued to talk about their latest exploits, Gray couldn't help but let the annoyance he was previously feeling flood him once more. _Again, with the compliments, why does she praise flame brains but never has anything good to say for me, only concern? _Gray finally decided that he'd had enough of this and got up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Lisanna asked him. Everyone's eyes were on their interaction.

"I'm just going to check out the request board," he huffed.

"Okay," she mumbled in response.

Gray reached the top of the stairs connecting the bar area to the second floor where all of the S-class jobs were posted. While at first Gray felt an extreme sense of novelty at finally being able to take these jobs _officially, _it just felt normal for him now. Still, the rewards were much higher and the opponents tougher, which was a plus.

He scanned the board, looking for the perfect job for him and for some reason, his eyes were always drawn to a particular one. Was it because it was placed dead-centre in the middle of the board? Gray picked up the request and glanced over its contents.

**Location: Terraminos, Aesif Desert, Fiore**

**Request: Destroy/ Eliminate/ Disband the dark guild Burgundy Scimitar. See town hall for details. **

**Reward: 16,000,000J **

_Hmmm, it's in the desert so that kind of makes it a bit iffy... _Gray pondered, _but that sure is one hell of a reward. I probably wouldn't have to take another mission in two months, except for fun. That'd get everyone off my backs, _he concluded, taking the request downstairs to have it approved by Mirajane.

Before he could though, Erza stopped him. "Gray, I was thinking about putting the old team back together," she said, and noticed the flyer he held. Snatching it up she continued to speak, "this looks like a good one..."

Gray snatched the flyer back, "this one's mine." Noticing Erza's slightly betrayed look he decided to alleviate her disappointment a bit, "look, I'll take a team mission when I get back... it's just I really need this one."

"Okay," she spoke softly, noticing Gray's determination, "but please for your own sake, take someone like Wendy with you. At the very least you could borrow Happy from Natsu."

"No, I'll take this mission _alone,_" he assured. _Damn it, if this is what it takes to prove that I'm capable then so be it. _He got the request approved by Mirajane and made for the doors. Just before he was about to exit, he heard Erza's accusatory- yet laced with the concern that irked Gray to no end- tone.

"What happened to you Gray? To our team?"

He turned to her one last time before leaving, "I promise once I'm done with this, we'll go back to the team and I also promise that I will be careful out there."

This didn't really reassure the requip mage. For some reason she really didn't think that Gray should take this job. She was filled with a sense of foreboding.

* * *

_..._

_.: **E**nd **o**f **C**hapter **2 **:._

…

_.: **T**o **B**e **C**ontinued :._

…

* * *

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter if you read on from the prologue. I think the next chapter will probably take you up to the events in the prologue but it might have to be a longer chapter for that. **

**Anyways, thank you to my reviewers, you've made sure that I updated a week after the first chapter even though I had an art exam, a physics practical and updated "Bindweed Archive" as well. I write these pairings for the few people that enjoy them, I feel like I am filling some kind of void when writing. **

*** I'm setting this about two years from the Tartaros Arc (I just hope they don't kill off any of the characters used.) **

**Reviewers**

_**xXChiasaHamuraXx **__**Couldn't agree more. I hope you enjoy the plot, it will be kind of eventual GrayTear since it always feels more satisfying in the end that way. **_

_**M**__**ira-san7 **_** Thanks!**

_**Sal **__** Sorry about the cliffhanger, that won't be resolved for about another chapter. As for wanting to see your favourite character as the damsel in distress, perfectly normal. I guess this story/type of plot is kind of a Gray x Natsu cliché (although I don't really know if it's normal for other pairings since most of what's on this sight is NaLu which I just refuse to read.)**_

_**MANSPLICE **__**Not just more feasible but **__**also**__** more interesting, plus more plot involved!**_

**Thanks for reading (including this author's note) , I can respond to most reviews especially if a question is asked so review away. **

**-QuatroPuppy out, probably will take me another week to update/ less if I get more follows etc.**

* * *

_One Last Thing_

_If you like Bleach as well as Fairy Tail then I am obliged to recommend "Souls of Dragons" by blueAztec which I have helped out with editing and plot. I actually wrote the prologue. It is a crossover but doesn't follow the typical FT/Bleach crossover __cliché in which Ichigo ends up in Magnolia. In "Souls of Dragons" it is the dragon slayers who end up in Seireitei after using a forbidden spell. The dragon slayers must learn to become Shinigami while coping with the loss of their friends back on Earthland. _

___Any attempt at making a link is blocked so just click on my profile and then favourite authors to find them if you're interested. _


	3. Chapter 3 - Encounters

_**P**reviously_

"What happened to you Gray? To our team?"

He turned to her one last time before leaving, "I promise once I'm done with this, we'll go back to the team and I also promise that I will be careful out there."

This didn't really reassure the requip mage. For some reason she really didn't think that Gray should take this job. She was filled with a sense of foreboding.

* * *

_**A/N: We see the first hints of GrayTear in this chapter.**_

* * *

_..._

_.: **B**efore **H**er **T**ime **R**uns **O**ut :._

…

_.: _**C**hapter _**3**__:._

…

_.: **E**ncounters :._

…

* * *

_**C**urrently_

The train hurtled along the narrow tracks which wound around the steep and rocky hills. The piercing whistle of steam being released from the engine reached all the way to the valley floor, startling which ever forest creatures resided there.

Gray sighed as he looked out of the carriage window upon the tranquil scenery below. Three days of travelling, and it wasn't even over yet. Nope, he still had two more days to go... that was something to think about. He audibly huffed. The boredom really was getting to him. Don't get him wrong; he really did enjoy not having to deal with Natsu's extreme motion sickness, Lucy's whining and Erza's scolding. But it was almost as if he was simultaneously... missing it?

No that can't be right. Still, being on his own was really boring and some company wouldn't go unappreciated. Deciding that he wasn't just going to sit and stare out of the window as it was so often tempting to do; he took out a novel which Lucy had recommended to him a while back. And by a while back, he meant a long while back, perhaps two or maybe three years back. Not like it mattered anyway. At least he had _something _to do.

He opened the hardback to read the summary on the inside of the cover. 'Stolen from her true love at the young age of 12, the princess of the Cerulean Kingdom is taken to a far away land where it is claimed that the only way in which they can rise to true power is by taking her blood. Held captive for four whole years, she desperately awaits her prince who must fight every inch of his way to save her before the blood ceremony takes place.'

Gray snorted a bit at the typical fairytale story with its damsel in distress, dashing prince and royal strife. Although it did sound interesting enough so he began reading the first chapter.

A while later, the words slowly started blurring and he found he could no longer focus on the story. His eyes gradually shuttered while he subconsciously slumped onto the table, drifting off to the rhythmic clatter of wheels on tracks.

.

.

.

_SCREEEEEEECH_. The harsh noise of the breaks being pulled woke Gray with a start. As his head shot up from the table, he did a double take on his surroundings. Glancing outside, he realised that the train had stopped at a remote looking village and that the sun had probably set a long time ago. The station being only one platform, he could see that the place consisted of only a few low rise buildings and a small church. Goodness knows where the hell Gray was, this trip was taking him to the complete other side of Fiore. A long way from Magnolia, from his home. He never like these middle of nowhere villages; some might say they liked life away from the busyness of cities, but to Gray they just felt so... empty.

Gray looked down the aisle of the carriage to check for any developments. He noticed that only one passenger had boarded at this stop, and he was currently checking for a seat. The train was pretty empty so... _please don't sit here, please don't sit here, _Gray silently pleaded.

_Damn._

_At least fifty empty seats and you chose to sit on the seat right across from me. _

"Seat taken?" the man asked in a gravelly voice.

"Ah... no?" Gray added in a questioning tone, trying to get the guy to take the hint.

"Good." _Seriously? What the hell kind of response is that?_

"Erm, may I ask why you're sitting here?" the ice mage pressed. On closer inspection, the guy appeared to be somewhere in his fifties, with a weathered, tan face and greying brown hair. His sand coloured clothes were scruffy in a way that looked like he'd been travelling a very long ways.

"Is there a problem?" he practically demanded while raising an eyebrow.

"No not at all," Gray challenged. This guy was not going to get to him. He didn't know what he was playing at by sitting there, so he'd have to just occupy his time with other things. He opened his book.

Annoying.

It was far too dark to read and Gray was too well rested from his previous nap to fall asleep again. At this point he no longer cared about social conventions so he sighed loudly - and purposefully - before kicking his feet up on the table.

No visible reaction. This guy sure was stubborn.

"May I have a look at that book?" the passenger asked politely.

"Sure go ahead," Gray was a little taken aback, "but it's too dark to read anyway." Regardless, Gray slid the book to the opposite end of the table.

"Hmm, I thought so..." the man hummed and then ran his finger along the spine of the book, brushing the bumpy indented letters of the title. Gray was amazed, as when he did so, each letter progressively lit up. When the last letter was touched, the light spread rapidly across the whole of the cover.

The book was then handed back to Gray, who flicked the pages open, noticing that all of the words were glowing golden and flickered in the same manner as a candle. The borders of the pages were now decorated with intricate, colourful illuminations depicting scenes from the story.

"H-how did you do that?" Gray stuttered with eyes wide in disbelief. "I've never seen magic like that before..."

"Magic?" The man shook his head, "that was not magic, boy. That was merely a book responding to its author."

"I've never heard of something like that before..." Gray mused, forgetting something important. "Wait author?" he blurted out, "you're the author?"

"Indeed I am. Why is that so hard to believe?" he asked.

"It's not," Gray responded, "it's just a weird to run into the author of the book I'm reading out here in the middle of nowhere... what a coincidence..."

"Coincidence?"

"Oh, please don't say some crap like it's fate or something," Gray chortled.

"Have no fear, I do not believe in such things," he assured, "do you even like the story so far?"

"Hmm, I've only read the first two chapters but it just seems a bit... cliché."

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." His voice was still jolly, "don't mind me, after all I am intruding."

"No, that's okay," Gray excused, he felt a little bit guilty at having acted so rudely before since the guy turned out to be somewhat entertaining. "So you're Komptos Thiemé?"

"Hahaha, no," he laughed nervously, "that is but a pen name. But you can call me that if you so desire," he added.

"Err, thanks, my name is Gray Fullbuster. I'm a Fairy Tail mage." Gray introduced himself.

"A mage of Fairy Tail? That is most interesting but if I may be of no further inconvenience I must rest," he yawned.

"That's fine," Gray assured before turning the illuminated book to the last page he was on. A few hours later he found himself really getting into the story. He turned page after page until he saw the first rays of sunlight intruded his vision. Stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles he determined that it was time for him to sleep again. Deciding to rest his head against the cool glass of the window, the last thing he saw and heard was the author across from him snoring loudly, deep in sleep. What an interesting character he was.

Gray awoke the next day at what he thought must surely be noon. This was due to his stomach growling profusely. Gray slowly rose from the moderately comfortable bench to find that he hurt. All over. He cricked his neck as he thought about how he should have just coughed up the extra money for one of the sleeper carriages. At least there were only twelve more hours of this.

_Wait a minute._

_Where was that author guy from before?_

Gray was reminded of his current predicament once more when his stomach let out another low rumble.

_Oh right, he probably went to the snack carriage like I'm planning to._

Sure enough when Gray reached the snack cart the author was there. Except the snack cart looked more like a bar, and the author was currently sitting at it with empty shot glasses sprawled across the surface. He was drunk. At noon.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gray felt weirdly responsible for him.

"Eating lunch." He was completely deadpan.

"Yeah... I don't see any food..."

Gray's concerns were wasted on the aged author. "Say do you have a special someone back at your guild?"

Gray froze up at that question. "Why are you asking?"

"No reason... well, do you?" he slurred drunkenly.

Gray thought about it for a moment. _Do I have a 'special someone'? He means a lover, or a crush right? __It really bugs me__ when Mirajane tr__ies __to __set __me__ up with various girls. Juvia mostly, __although I once heard Erza and Levy fantasising about me and flame brain. Eww. __But still, t__hat woman would stop at nothing to find out who it __is__ that __I__ lov__e__. Why c__a__n't she just accept that __I__ d__o__n't feel that way about anyone? _For a split second Gray imagined a flash of long black-purple hair. _No, stop thinking about her; that's never going to happen._

To answer the man's question Gray just thought of something Natsu might say in this situation, "Hahaha... All of my guildmates are a 'special someone' to me,'" he laughed nervously and gave a wry smile.

The author wasn't buying any of that but still he acknowledged Gray's response, "fair enough. But just remember, if you ever do find that person don't ever be hesitant to tell them how you feel. If you are, one of you'll just end up dying with out them ever knowing..." He sounded solemn, almost as if he had experienced such a thing.

_Where's all this coming from? _Gray wondered. Still, he took heed of the advice; not that he ever would fall in love with someone. But why was the author telling him such things? It seemed so... random.

Gray stumbled slightly and leaned against the side of the carriage when he felt the train coming to a stop.

"Well, this is my stop. I sincerely believe that is not the last time I will see your face. Fairwell." He waved goodbye.

_What?_

Gray wished to question the man further but found he was no longer in sight. What an annoying guy.

* * *

_**L**ater _

Gray stopped reading his novel on the second to last chapter when he sighted his destination out of the window. The prominent lights of the desert city Ammos Fontana approached his vision.

"We are now stopping at Ammos Fontana station. This is the end of the line. Please enjoy your stay," the brash tannoy voice barked.

Gray noticed many things about this city as he walked through the narrow streets after exiting the train station. The first being that this place was hot. Far too hot. For once Gray really did have a valid excuse for stripping down to his underwear, even if he did look even more out of place since the residents of the city wore colourful, flowing garbs. The second thing that Gray noticed is how lavish everything looked. For a city on the outermost edge of Fiore - and in the middle of the desert no less – it was certainly very wealthy.

Gray looked up at the vines covering the narrow market street and blocking out the clear starry sky. There were stalls selling all sorts of exotic goods such as spices and fine silks. Normally Gray would have wanted to explore a bit, and Lucy would have wanted to shop. Natsu of course would be eating every last morsel in sight. But right now all he wanted to do was get a good night's sleep at the nearest hotel. That train ride had really sapped every last ounce of his energy away. Gray wondered what it would be like to have Natsu's extreme motion sickness, not that he ever empathised though.

* * *

_**N**earby_

"Meredy, we can't stay here any longer, Jellal's already waiting downstairs."

The pink haired girl muttered something under her breath about her mother figure who was standing on the other side of the bed.

"What was that? I can't hear you when you mumble," Ultear warned.

Meredy suddenly became fearful, and stuffed the last remaining items into her rather large suitcase. The two eventually made their way downstairs to the hotel lobby where Jellal was standing impatiently by the door. Ultear went to the reception desk to check out and after doing so she joined the others at the door.

"All ready to go?" Jellal asked. Ultear nodded. "Well then," he didn't finish his sentence, as the three left into the crowded night market.

…

Gray saw the towering white building - which must surely be the hotel - at the edge of the large market. He pushed his way through the slowly moving people to try and get closer to the entrance. As he was nearing his objective, his shoulder lightly bumped another. Not hearing any form of apology, he turned around to catch a glimpse of whoever it was to see a woman wearing a dark cloak. She looked vaguely familiar. Where had he seen that getup before?

As if sensing the eyes on her, she turned around ever so slightly but then proceeded to carry on walking with her two companions.

And Gray knew exactly who it was. It was her. The woman that Gray had been thinking about before.

"Ultear!" he called out, but his voice was lost among the many that filled the lively city.

…

Ultear stopped walking when she thought she heard her name being called out. She turned once again to see the source. It sounded like someone she knew. All she could make out was a head of messy black hair and she desperately wanted to run over and see him when she realised who it belonged to. Gray. It had been a long time since she'd last seen him and she'd been thinking some… things lately.

She attempted to make her way towards him but moving against the flow of the crowd was near impossible. Asides from that, she felt a tug on her wrist from her companion.

"Ultear what are you playing at?" Meredy urged, "did you see someone you know?" Ultear blushed in response and Meredy took note. "Don't tell me it was 'him'..." the sense mage teased.

"Keep quiet!" Ultear hissed. Only Meredy knew about her feelings for a certain ice mage and she didn't really want Jellal to know.

"Oh? But don't you want to go see him?" she continued.

Ultear sighed in defeat, "yes, but we can't right now, we've a dark guild to destroy..." She looked somewhat saddened.

"Don't worry, we can try and find him after we're done." Meredy attempted to cheer up the older woman. But despite her words, Meredy knew that things like that aren't so easy, the chances that they'd find him again were slim. _Perhaps if this fails we should just try and meet up with him at the guild. Right?_

* * *

…

_.: _**_E_**_nd _**_o_**_f _**_C_**_hapter _**_3 _**_:._

…

_.: _**_T_**_o _**_B_**_e _**_C_**_ontinued :._

…

* * *

**Thanks for sticking with the story so far, if you're reading this. I'm really enjoying writing this, and I'm glad I got to start the main part of the story. You may think that this is going quite slowly, but none of the details in this chapter are unnecessary, including the meeting with the author. **

**Thank you once again to my reviewers and followers. I'd like to say this, please review, even if you don't have much to say. Although I'd like to hear your opinion on every single aspect of the story. It really means a lot, and hopefully it will be my encouragement to continue writing. **

**Until next time... **


	4. Chapter 4 In the Desert

_**P**reviously _

"Don't worry, we can try and find him after we're done." Meredy attempted to cheer up the older woman. But despite her words, Meredy knew that things like that aren't so easy, the chances that they'd find him again were slim. _Perhaps if this fails we should just try and meet up with him at the guild. Right?_

* * *

_…_

___.: _**___B_**___efore _**___H_**___er _**___T_**___ime _**___R_**___uns _**___O_**___ut :._

_…_

___.: _**_C_**_hapter _**_4_**___:._

_…_

___.: _**___I_**___n _**___T_**___he _**___D_**___esert____ :._

_…_

* * *

**___C_**___urrently_

Gray groaned as the ridiculously bright sun hit his weary eyes after he pulled back the curtains of his hotel room. He looked down upon the plaza to see that the marketplace was just as bustling as it was last night. Gray wondered if the people here ever slept. Probably not, it was soooo hot...

Gray realised that his skin was dripping with sweat, and what little clothes he had left on were sticking to him uncomfortably. This added to the foul mood he had been feeling since waking up. The mood in which he had come to find himself was stirred by the memories of his pathetic attempt to catch Ultear's attention. Why did it matter so much to him anyway? She hadn't heard him, that was all; and it wasn't if she'd want to see him anyway. She was probably here for other, much more important things than talking to him. He cursed himself for fretting like a lovestruck teenager. He wasn't even in love right? He'd barely ever talked to Ultear... yet he felt he understood her so well.

After crossing his arms over the windowsill and leaning out slightly he eventually decided that there was no point in moping about the situation, so he walked in to the bathroom in the hope that he could do something about his current state.

Undressing fully and turning the shower faucet to the lowest temperature possible, he let out a sigh of relief as the deliciously cool water ran soothingly down his body, washing away the sweat, dirt and grime of the journey.

Twenty minutes later and now feeling thoroughly refreshed, Gray thought it was about time to get going with the mission. He looked at the wall clock in the room to discover that it was actually around 2PM. _Better get a move on._

* * *

_**O**utside_

Gray glared at the short, wiry old man he was currently bargaining with. Why was he making things so complicated?

"8000 Jewels," the driver insisted.

"What the... why?" Gray protested.

"8000 Jewels. And I take you only three-quarters of the way there," he added, with a thick accent.

Gray was utterly confused as to why the prices were so steep. 8000 Jewels was more than the cost of his entire journey so far, including the hotel. The steamy air from his wet, showered head only added to the look of rage present on his face. "And just why do you expect me to pay 8000 for a bloody cart ride?" Turning on his heels, Gray began to walk away, "I'm leaving." He was abruptly halted when he felt a hand tug at his forearm.

"What the..." he started, "let me go!" He shook the old driver's grip off of him.

"7000 Jewels. Best price you'll find. Won't go any lower."

Gray smirked at the small victory but decided to take it further. "_And_ you'll take me the whole way."

The driver instantly shook his head. "No. It cannot be helped. Not a single soul from 'round here has set foot in Terraminos for long time. They say it's overrun with dark guild..."

"Well, I happen to be the mage sent to destroy that dark guild."

The old man's eyes took on a fearful look, "You speak nonsense... Success will not be yours!"

Gray's anger increased but he resisted the growing urge to grab the stingy driver's shoulders and shake him for his impudence. He breathed in deeply and spoke through clenched teeth,"look, just lower the price to 6000 and you don't even have to take me the whole way."

"Fine, fine..." he relented and walked to the back of the cart to shift the covering canvas for Gray to enter. As Gray did so he immediately began freezing up the sides and benches in order to quench the stifling, stuffy air inside.

With no further ado the elderly driver set about attaching the leather harnesses to the two gigantic green lizards that would be pulling the vehicle. He then sat at the front of the cart and took up the reigns, giving them a slight tug to get the beasts moving. The cart soon left Ammos Fontana with a cloud of dust churned up by the fast moving wheels.

* * *

_**T**hat **E**vening_

Gray stepped out of the rickety old cart in to the overwhelmingly quiet outside. He discovered two things upon doing so. One: The air had a cold bite to it, not that he minded; in fact, he relished it. Two: It was dark; so dark that he could not even see his own feet.

The driver began the arduous process of turning around the vehicle on the makeshift dirt path.

"Oi!" Gray shouted after him, "how the hell am I supposed to find Terraminos?"

The driver lifted up a dying oil lantern and pointed diagonally towards the sky. Gray directed his gaze towards where he was pointing to see the star filled sky. "The village is directly North of here. You follow North Star!" He jabbed his hand towards said star for emphasis. Gray saw the star and gave the driver a nod. The man gave the ice mage a cocky snort in response as if Gray was some kind of amateur, before taking off back from whence he came.

The fading sound that was the clattering of the cart lingered in Gray's ears long after it was gone and he was left in utter silence. There was no breeze, no movement, no nothing. Eventually Gray's eyes adjusted, and he could just about make out the outlines of the landscape from the sheer amount of starlight.

He double checked the sky to see if he was heading in the right direction before trudging forward. Each footstep made a loud, sandy crunching noise which Gray thought must surely be audible for miles around. Not that there was anyone for miles around.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

The sound of footsteps ceased.

Gray stopped, realising something. He had failed to ask how much further Terraminos was. How long would it take to walk there? What if he started walking in the wrong direction? For all he knew, a slight error in judgement here could land him miles off course later. He'd be lost in this vast expanse of nothingness.

He shook the worries from his head and thought rationally. He would be fine so long as he followed the man's instructions. The North Star. Gray looked up at it. Unknowingly, he placed his right arm in front of him as if it would stop him from straying off course. He would just keep walking forward, keep checking the sky every few minutes. He carried on this way, over and across the many dunes for just over two hours.

It was faint but he was sure he saw a dim glow of light. He honed in on the source and was delighted to discover a building. Civilisation! People! He quickened his pace as he headed for a cluster of the buildings of which he could not make out any details in the low light.

He restrained himself from running but nevertheless his quick pace earned him a face full of pavement once he adjusted to the change in ground texture. Gray got up and temporarily forgot how to walk on non-shifting surfaces.

After having calmed down from his earlier self embarrassment he walked further in to the village, coming to stop at the lone street light. The bulb buzzed and flickered irritatingly but the light it gave off was enough for Gray to make out the signpost. Terraminos Town Hall. Perfect.

Gray knocked on the rather modest front door to find no response. Wait. That was stupid of him, they'd be sleeping. No, actually, it should only be around 9PM unless Gray underestimated how long he'd spent hiking. He knocked again. Silence.

Gray knew when to admit to defeat and settled to sleeping on the streets. He'd try again in the morning when everyone must surely be awake.

* * *

_**M**eanwhile_

"Meredy, Jellal, we're leaving early tomorrow morning so you'd better get some rest," Ultear yawned.

A large map lay in the centre of the spacious circular tent where the Crime Sorciere members were currently resting. Meredy was knelt beside it and seemed to be placing and removing various coloured pins out of it, pausing sometimes while making a decision.

Jellal stood from his place next to Ultear, took the hanging lamp and blew out the subtly flickering flame.

"Jellal!" Meredy complained. It was now completely dark within the tent meaning that Meredy could no longer read the map.

"We've compromised our position for long enough, we'll finish the tracking work tomorrow," the blue haired man explained.

The sense mage raised a finger as if to protest but then stopped herself. "That's okay, I believe the caravan just passed through the Cream Canyon."

"Caravan, eh?" Ultear looked puzzled, "what odd behaviour for a dark guild," she mused.

"It would appear that way but the dark guilds' culture around here must be very different to the ones we know from the Baram Alliance," Jellal reasoned.

"You know..." Ultear began, "back when I was in Grimoire Heart I don't believe I ever heard of a dark guild called 'Burgundy Scimitar' and we supposedly had records of every single one."

"Perhaps they were just incredibly secretive. Anyhow they're on the move now, yet we have no way of gauging their power... extreme caution must be exercised when dealing with them." Jellal was a little anxious since Crime Sorciere usually knew exactly what they were dealing with. It was simple: find the dark guild, incapacitate the members, wait for the Magic Council to show up before disappearing. This time was different though; there was no Magic Council base for nearly a hundred miles round. Did that mean they would actually have to kill their opponents? That was an extent that they thought to be extreme, no matter how serious the criminal. At best, they'd be able to restrain the members and then proceed to removing their magic capabilities.

But what were they to do if Burgundy Scimitar were revealed to be the more potent force? They'd have no chance at salvation out here.

Jellal was broken from his troublesome thoughts when Meredy spoke, "well that can wait for tomorrow...I'm going to sleep like Ul suggested," she whispered. No one had reason to disagree, they were pretty tired after all. After a brief jostle to get fully settled in their sleeping bags they were soon asleep.

* * *

_**T**erraminos, **N**ext **M**orning_

The residents of the small village of Terraminos had been greeted with a rather unusual sight as they had awoken on this particular morning. Considering the nature of the village, no one had ever actually seen something quite like this. An outsider. That in itself was rare but to see but one sleeping on their streets was on a whole other level.

They had woken hours before at dawn to get their hardest chores and work done before they could be assaulted by the full force of the sun. So by now, a meagre crowd had formed around the sleeping man, whose skin was going to burn if he did not move now.

The black haired stranger did just that, stirring awake under the gaze of several people invading his personal space. His eyes slowly fluttered open, glad that they were shaded until he realised where that shade was coming from.

Waking up to people staring at oneself could not be described as the most pleasant thing ever. In fact it was very unnerving, and Gray's body language showed just that. He reeled back very hastily and scrambled against a nearby wall, clutching for something to help him up.

The bystanders all took a few steps back but to Gray's surprise no one uttered a word. Not even a whisper to each other. It was creepy to say the least.

A lone figure made their way to the front of the gathering. She was an old woman who was dressed in a bright blue shawl which looked slightly more expensive than what the rest of the villagers were wearing. She was obviously addressing Gray but instead of speaking, she simply made a gesture with her hand for Gray to follow her. Seriously. Why was it that not a single person made any noise? Was it some kind of rule here? Any which way, Gray would have felt incredibly awkward if he were to be the first one to break the silence.

The woman led him to the front of the town hall he had spotted (not so late) last night. The building consisted of rough stone with curved lines which made it flush with the landscape. The simplicity of the architecture it shared with the rest of the houses showed the antiquity of the settlement, which seemed to be older than anything Gray had previously seen in all his adventures. He couldn't explain what exactly it was but he just felt like he'd stepped back in to an entirely different civilisation, one in which he was not all that welcome.

* * *

_**I**nside_

After being brought inside to the wonderfully dark and shady indoors Gray was seated on the sofa in some kind of makeshift waiting room within the town hall. He had later deduced that the old woman who had led him here was the wife of the mayor. More like chieftain... or something like that...

The woman hadn't specifically told him this but he could tell that the town hall was no more than a slightly larger house which she clearly shared with somebody.

His mind drifted to other places as he watched the fan on the ceiling spin slowly, circulating the air just enough to keep the temperature to a comfortable level. Gray longed for this horrible mission to be over and done with. He'd take out all of his anger and frustration on the unsuspecting dark wizards and then claim the deliciously sweet reward. He'd get back and not take on another job for two whole months. Hell, he'd even spend that whole time at Akane resort... maybe with Ultear. Yeah, that sounded nice...

"Come in." He heard the deep voice of the mayor from the room to the side. Gray did as instructed, pulling back the fabric which separated the office from the waiting room.

As he entered, his eyes took a while to adjust to the bright golden glow coming from the far side of the room. The mayor was sitting at a desk in front of an open archway but Gray couldn't make out any details of him due to the glare. He shielded his eyes from the unwelcome light and on closer inspection he could see that the archway had a view across the whole village and the surrounding desert.

"Sit." He was invited, using a minimal amount of words.

Gray pulled back the flimsy chair and lowered himself until he was sat across from the mayor. He took a moment to simply look at the man before him but there wasn't much to describe aside from his attire. He wore a white hooded silk cloak with a blue sash. His face was had a deep bronze tan but his eyes were concealed with a pair of visor like sunglasses which looked really out of place.

"I assume that you're the mage we requested," the mayor began.

"You'd be correct."Gray did not know what else to say. _The way in which the people here use the minimum amount of communication possible must be rubbing off on me,_ Gray thought.

"The dark guild 'Burgundy Scimitar' is currently on the move. We know where to intercept them."

_Wow, could you even be any more blunt?_ "Great! Tell me where and I can begin." Gray smiled nervously.

The mayor was not given time to respond as the woman from before entered the office carrying a tray with two teacups and a pot. She set the tray down and the mayor went about pouring the steaming liquid. He handed a cup over to Gray who placed his hand in front of him in refusal.

"Please drink," the mayor insisted, his wife now leaving them in peace.

"No that's okay..."

"It is a custom." It was clear that the man was not about to drink his own tea without waiting for his guest. Gray took a reluctant sip of the dark green liquid. It was... interesting. Refreshing despite being hot. The mayor now gained a satisfactory smile as he continued talking.

"The guild will be passing through the point of intercept in exactly three days. Until then you will make yourself useful."

"Why should I do that?"

"Please. A mage of your specific abilities will be _very_ helpful to my people."

_What? I don't remember ever telling him about my ice magic. How would he know such a thing?_ Gray glared at the mayor suspiciously but the man before him was unwavering. He took a long sip from his cup as he tipped down the rest of the contents.

He grinned delightedly as he shooed Gray away, "well get going! My wife will have a room set up for you by night-time. You can leave your things here."

_Great. I've gotta do menial chores for three days and share a house with these weirdos. Just Great._

* * *

**.**

.

**T**hree **D**ays **L**ater

.

**.**

Ultear crawled up the last stretch of the the crimson sand dune flat on her stomach. She dug her elbows into the gritty sand as she wriggled next to the pile of stones. The stones belonged to the ancient, decrepit shrine which sat atop the dune. It was only small, really more like a stopping point on a pilgrimage to some faraway place.

Shortly afterwards, she was joined by Meredy and Jellal who adopted similar positions to her in order to avoid detection. They had ditched their typical dark cloaks in favour of desert camouflage attire which helped them to stay hidden in the surrounding environment. Blending with the sands at will, they had stalked the dark guild caravan for three whole days and had not once been detected. During this time they had observed the members and noted that there were at least twelve powerful mages present, most of which were concentrated around the back of the caravan where a sedan chair was being carried by several servants. However, strangely enough the main bulk of the caravan was made up of lizard drawn carts carrying people who seemed to have no magic capabilities whatsoever. In all, it looked more like a nomad tribe than a guild.

She pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked down at the slight valley and was completely stumped as to where the rest of the caravan were. They were completely gone. Only the group of wizards and the sedan chair with its bearers were left, standing outside the ruins of some ancient site.

The sedan bearers were all dressed in pure white robes while the wizards wore navy blue. Every one of them wore veils though, and also large circular caps with cloth hanging down from all sides which joined the robes at the back and split over the shoulders.

Meredy, to her left was also looking through a pair of binoculars and suddenly let out a gasp as she noticed something. Ultear wanted to ask her what was wrong but before she could speak, a powerful gust of wind knocked the words out of her mouth. The wind did not relent, sending the shrine flags flapping and whipping around, thoroughly distracting the three mages. When Ultear regained her senses she could see why Meredy had gasped. Her heart caught in her throat.

Standing before the splinter group was a lone figure. A young man with spiky black hair. _What are you doing here Gray?_ Her thoughts were anxious. She could see that he was about to attack before something halted him. Did one of them say something? Ultear couldn't tell since she was too far away.

The sedan chair was set down and the small door was opened to reveal what Ultear could make out to be a tall woman with a flowing pink dress, a white veil and unlike the others her hair - which was emerald green and waist length – was exposed. Her reveal clearly alarmed the others present especially when she began to step towards Gray.

Ultear could clearly see the look of panic on the ice mage's face when she did this but what happened next was what really confused her.

In a flash, a torrent of rocks was sent swirling around Gray and when it receded he was in the clutches of one of the veiled wizards. With a knife pressed against his throat. At once all of the other wizards pointed their weapons and charged spells aimed at the attacker.

Was this internal conflict?

"We have to do something!" Ultear hissed and made to run down to the aid of Gray.

She was promptly held back by Jellal. "Are you crazy? He has a knife to Gray's throat. We'd just be making things worse by going down there."

Ultear knew this to be the truth so she kept watch through the binoculars. If she could get down there then she would be able to crumble the dagger by sending it into its rusty future but for all she knew Gray's throat would be split as soon as she was spotted.

The struggle continued with words which could not be heard being thrown back and forth. Neither side was backing down. Everything went to hell in that moment though. All eyes were on her position.

"WE KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE SO JUST GET DOWN HERE IF YOU WANT THIS BOY TO LIVE!" was the last thing she heard before eveyone succumbed to the complete and utter chaos.

* * *

…

.: **E**nd **o**f **C**hapter **4** :.

…

.: **T**o **B**e **C**ontinued :.

_…_

* * *

**So, slightly longer chapter here. And don't worry, I will write about what happened during those three days up until the current events in Gray's point of view. **

**Any thoughts on the village or anything else so far? Any of your thoughts are very much appreciated and I can answer any questions you might have. **


	5. Chapter 5 - Veiled Intentions

_**A/N: (Skip if you want – you probably should.)**_

_**Special thanks for the feedback. I know it may seem weird putting in that last AN chapter with the questions but there was a reason. I am just the type of person who needs reassurance that what I am doing is right at every step of the way, I constantly worry that I may be doing something disliked but people are too polite to tell me so honestly if you dislike something then tell me because I can change it. I'll explain more after the chapter. **_

_**Anyways, on with the story... I think this may be my best chapter yet and it's extra, extra long...**_

* * *

_**P**reviously_

The struggle continued with words which could not be heard being thrown back and forth. Neither side was backing down. Everything went to hell in that moment though. All eyes were on her position.

"WE KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE SO JUST GET DOWN HERE IF YOU WANT THIS BOY TO LIVE!" was the last thing she heard before everyone succumbed to the complete and utter chaos.

* * *

…

_.: **B**efore **H**er **T**ime **R**uns **O**ut :._

…

_.: _**C**hapter **5**_ :._

_..._

._: __**V**__eiled __**I**__ntent__ions__:._

…

* * *

_**T**hree **D**ays **P**rior_

Gray wiped the large amount of sweat that had accumulated on his brow thanks to the sun's harsh ministrations. What was he doing again? Oh yeah, he was helping around town. For what reason?

He was stuck here for three days. Three whole days of labour under the desert sun.

Seriously, he was an S-Class mage of Fairy Tail; if they wanted a labourer then why did they take him? It's not like this was his profession. He slumped down on the bench and decided to take a quick break, sit back and watch. The woman he was supposed to be helping was currently tugging and heaving on the rope dipping into the deep black cavern that was the village well, her long brown sari billowing as she did so.

Like the rest of the villagers, she wore a veil which completely concealed her face. What was with that? Was it a different religion out here? Was it to stop sunburn? The people of Ammos Fontana wore no such thing. Was it just a tradition in the village? Come to think of it, the only person he had seen not wearing such concealment was the mayor, but even so, he had been wearing reflective sunglasses. His eyes completely obscured. Was that it? Did the villagers have to cover their eyes?

"Are you going to sit there or are you going to help?" Gray all but fell off the bench as he did a double take. Did she just... speak? He had gotten so used to the silence that he had begun to think that most of the villagers were unable to form words.

Getting up, Gray decided to approach her about this matter. "You spoke?"

"Yes... are you going to help?" _Wow, straight back to the topic. No conversation here. _

"Of course, I was just surprised that you actually spoke..." Gray rubbed his head nervously and continued, "Why is it that you hardly say anything?" he asked sincerely.

The woman sighed, tied the rope to an iron rung and threw her arms up in exasperation. "Why is it that you wish to know?" She walked towards him. "Words are unnecessary. There are far more things in this world which can be communicated without words. Time spent speaking is time wasted. Words can be... misinterpreted. Words can be lies, actions are the language of _truth_." She put emphasis on the last word as she grabbed the end of the rope and shoved it into Gray's hands.

The ice mage was surprised by the forcefulness, not just by the woman's actions but her words as well. What did she mean by that? He totally forgot about the task at hand when the woman untied the rope from the metal rung.

SLAM!

The massive weight that was on the other end of the rope was too much for the unsuspecting ice mage. As a result, he lost all balance and was pulled straight into the circular wall surrounding the well with a crash and some displaced stones falling into the well. A few seconds later, several splashes echoing from within the underground cavern could be heard.

Gray stared in disbelief at the villager behind him. He was sure he heard a slightly suppressed giggle and was certain that behind the veil he would find a big smirk. This annoyed him.

What kind of monstrous strength did this woman possess? She was like, Erza, level strong. Gray was no weakling but he was defeated instantly by a bucket of water.

Just how big was this damn bucket?

She did not move to help Gray but instead stood looking at him in a silent challenge of 'do it yourself or do you want to be beaten in strength by a woman?'

Begrudgingly, Gray admitted to himself that he didn't actually have the physical strength necessary for pulling the bucket back up... but he wasn't S-Class for no reason. There was never only one way of doing something and he would not give up until he found the logical solution. He already had one in mind. Standing up, he took the loose end of the rope and fed it through the iron rung that hung from a wooden beam over the well. He proceeded to create a massive, dense clump of ice attached to the rope before releasing it to let it fall into the well.

Despite standing at least ten metres higher than the surface of the water, Gray was still soaked from the massive splash caused by the clump of ice falling. The concurrent result of the new imbalance of weight was more than enough to hoist the water bucket on the opposite end of the rope. The distinct whirring sound of rope-burn accompanied the water bucket straight to the top where it now swung slightly, sloshing over and spilling. Sure enough, it was a massive bucket—more along the lines of a trough.

Gray turned to the woman with a smug expression. She clapped... almost sarcastically and unhooked the bucket from the rope before dropping it unceremoniously by the side of the well.

The two were then surrounded with at least six little children who looked to be in the range of five to eight years old. It seemed very sad to Gray as not only did even the children wear the veils but they followed in their parents' example of not speaking a word. To see so many children running around yet not chatting, laughing and teasing each other was just plain wrong in Gray's opinion.

The children began filling up many canteens of water and Gray decided he could at least make them a little happier. So, he gathered magic in his hands and released hundreds of ice cubes into the large bucket. Gray only wished he could see the excited look in their eyes or hear them thank him but sadly no such hints occurred or could be seen.

Although, if the manner in which they were now playing with the ice cubes was of any indication, they were excited. Perhaps this was their first time seeing ice? Some of the children cheekily slipped the ice cubes down each others' necks; the victims of such acts squealed as the slippery cold substance slid down their backs.

_Progress, _Gray thought. _I can take this further. _He positioned himself in the Ice Make stance as he readied what was normally an attack, but in this case: "Ice Make: Floor!" The ground was covered in a thick sheet of slippery ice. At once all of the children slipped and fell over, and Gray heard... giggles.

It was pretty amusing to watch. The children who had never seen ice before were now skidding and sliding around on the frozen ground, some of them fighting here and there, leaving the forgotten canteens lying next to the bucket.

He turned to the only other person besides him who was standing still. The woman whom he had been helping earlier was standing, looking at the sky wistfully. _Why? Why are you looking like that? It looks like this is the most amount of fun these kids have seen in a long time? _She raised her hand into the air and the fun was stopped. All of the children turned their attention to her, the ice floor dispelled and they got back to work.

Once the children had finished filling their canteens, she motioned for Gray to come closer and help her carry the bucket. _Maybe she's right, words aren't always required. _Gray used both arms to steadily lift his side of the bucket while the woman took the other.

There was one question he wanted to ask her, "what's your name?" he grunted due to the exertion.

"Andriaa," she replied.

"I'm-"

"Gray." She finished for him. _Okay, no need to be so rude, _Gray thought.

Andriaa started taking steady steps to lead the bucket in her direction of choosing. Gray was very careful not to take a step in the wrong direction and spill any of the precious liquid.

After painstakingly moving through the streets, Gray eventually found himself looking down at a staircase leading into some kind of nice shady looking sub-level room. Andriaa took the first step down and lifted the bucket higher to keep it level. Gray followed after her and slowly but surely they made their way down the stairs.

Gray breathed out heavily and shook the built up tension from his arms and knees after finally having set down the trough inside. One thing which he would never get used to here is how long it took for his eyes to adjust when moving from inside to outside.

Outside it was so bright, to the point where you might damage your eyes. Inside it was so dark, the lack of windows evidently kept the temperature down within the mighty stone walls. At least one was always in for a surprise when entering an unknown room.

And surprised Gray was.

He never would have expected to see a wine cellar in this dried up hole of a village. It wasn't just a few bottles either. There were rows and rows of big oak barrels, many of which looked untouched—if the dust gathered upon them was any indication. Andriaa reached into a tiny alcove in the wall and retrieved an oil lamp. She promptly lit it, and the cellar was filled with a flickering orange glow.

Gray took in the new detail now that it was possible to do so. It wasn't just a wine cellar, no, there were bags of flour, cheeses, cured meats and were those... fresh fruits? Gray had difficulty deducing the answer to this question since they looked so foreign to anything he was used to.

Just when he was about to ask about what he was thinking, Andriaa was beside him holding out one of the fruits as if she'd read his mind. It had a purplish brown... shell, and Andriaa cut it open to reveal bright pink flesh which looked succulent, juicy and delicious.

Gray unwittingly began to drool.

As if in response to this, not at all judgemental, she pushed the fruit towards him as if to tell him he could have it. He sliced off a segment, dropped it into his mouth and let the flavour linger for a while as he chewed it down. It was thirst quenching without sacrificing flavour. He quickly gobbled down the rest of the fruit, not caring about the juices dribbling down his chin.

"The only fruit which grows in the Aesif Desert." Once again, the breaking of the silence startled Gray, but at least it was his cue to ask her another question.

"Where does all this food and wine come from?"

"Do not think little of us, aside from the rozova fruit—which we harvest—we ordered this food and wine from a far away place, a long time ago."

"A long time ago? It looks so fresh..."

"Did I not just tell you to not think little of us?" Gray felt like he was treading on thin ice here, and that was not a good thing in the desert. Nevertheless, Andriaa explained, "This cellar is protected with the script of the ancients. No food within this script will expire."

"That sounds a lot like Freed's runes magic..." Gray mused.

"Please, do not bring unnecessary information into an already wasteful conversation," she said threateningly.

"Sorry," Gray mumbled.

She stepped dangerously close to him and added one final bit, "apologising is also unnecessary. I can already see that you regret wasting my time." _Yeah right, woman. Like I care about wasting your time. _"You better not be thinking what I think you are... A man who disregards the time of others is only true to himself. You are selfish, you will gradually separate yourself from your friends until one day you will surely die alone." Her words were venomous, and Gray felt each and every one of them as if they were attacks – like knives which served to damage his pride.

Gray was starting to honestly believe that she was a mind reader.

Andriaa left a very wide eyed Gray as she opened the door, flooding the cellar with unwanted light. "However... I will let you off this time. Your time happens to be very precious." She turned to him one last time, tightened her sash and whispered the last part, "treasure it." She was then gone, with a slight flick of her silk sari and the darkness of the cellar once more prevailed.

Now, much more so than previously, Gray desired to see the expression in her eyes. Was she toying with him? Did she know something? Did she KNOW him?

Gray only wished that she was not toying with him. She could see his eyes. They betrayed complete confusion, concern and—reluctantly he admitted it: fear. For some reason, not once had words instilled such intense emotion within him. Not Makarov, not Ur, not Natsu, not Erza, no one.

Why did this come from someone with an unknown face whom he had only known of for a few hours. More importantly, was she threatening him?

.

.

.

Gray decided to let it go. He was being irrational. No way this woman had anything on Erza or Mirajane... right?

…

Gray looked right, and then left. Taking in the abandoned tools, the empty chairs and in general the lack of people, he now walked through the desolate streets of Terraminos. Where was everyone? The village had gone from busy to ghost town in the time that he had spent in the cellar. Andriaa hadn't done something had she? She was certainly behaving weirdly.

Without realising where he was going, he ended up in front of the town hall. Thinking there was no point in not trying it, he knocked on the front door and was surprised when his knock was reciprocated with the door being immediately opened for him. The mayor's wife was holding it open for him, no greeting—naturally.

She walked up the stairs to the mid level and waited expectingly for Gray to do the same. When Gray did reach the second floor she had already moved on, now standing to the side of the doorway to another room. She led him straight inside towards a freshly made bed and pointed to it.

It seemed more like an order than an invitation but Gray could see no harm done in taking up the offer so he clambered down until he was comfortably resting on the soft surface. The mayor's wife let him rest there, pulled the curtain by the open archway closed and left the ice mage in peace.

Gray was soon drifting off to sleep, the ominous words spoken by Andriaa replaying over and over in his mind as he tried to make sense of why she would say that to him. He dreamt of his training with Ur in the snowy forests of the north. That was his true home, that, and Fairy Tail. He vowed to himself never again to be seen in any desert of any form.

_Your time happens to be very precious... treasure it._

* * *

_**S**ometime **L**ater_

Gray awoke to a slight nudging. Each nudge got incrementally more forceful until his eyes were wide open and he was sat up staring at the source of the intrusion. Judging by the lack of light coming through the curtain, it was now late evening.

_No point in asking why I'm being woken right?_ It was the mayor's wife once again and she was doing her usual routine of walking somewhere and waiting for Gray to follow before moving again. This time he was lead to a closet full of various different garbs.

She looked like she expected him to choose some of them. _I'll probably end up ditching them accidentally anyway. Are you sure you should trust me? _Gray decided not to voice his concern and instead settled with an orange set which complemented his blue eyes.

He was shuttled wordlessly outside where the gathering darkness brought the temperature down to a comfortable level. Gray by now was used to surprises in this weird and wonderful village but each surprise was... well... more surprising.

This time instead of being greeted with a ghost town Gray was brought into a highly decorated version of the streets. There were rows of tables set out, covered in white cloths, candles and fruits. Lanterns were hanging out on strings across from the buildings and they swayed ever so gently due to the air currents.

Did they do all this when he was asleep? If so then why? He wanted to ask someone but he also didn't want to be scolded for talking.

He felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see one of the village children from a few hours before at the well. The child started walking while gently pulling Gray behind him until they reached a table set in the forefront of the village square. The square was quite surprisingly grand, surrounded by noble columns and strong stone arches. It looked more like a location from a grand ancient city rather than some dusty deprived village.

Since arriving at the village Gray disliked all his decisions being taken for him and the latest such decision consisted of being seated at the mayor's table. It didn't slip past Gray that the man was still wearing sunglasses even though it was dark.

Once he was sat down at the table in silence, he began snacking on the various foods that had been spread; he particularly savoured the so called 'rozova' fruit which he had tried earlier.

One glance at his empty wine glass though and the mayor swiftly refilled it with the dark rose liquid. Without realising what he was doing, he drank the entire contents of the glass without setting it down. _Not good, now he's going to refill it again _and sure enough Gray was soon sipping his second glass.

This carried on for a while. Gray soon lost himself in the silence of the desert; the only noises that reached his ears was the chinking of glasses and the shuffling of footsteps every now and again. Gray was beginning to think it wasn't all so bad. It was certainly a change from the rowdiness of Fairy Tail, and for once he could listen to his thoughts.

Unfortunately, Gray did not know what to think. There were too many things going on in his head to sort – the wine wasn't helping. There was his team-mates, Ultear, the mysterious village itself but most of all was Andriaa.

_A man who disregards the time of others is only true to himself. You are selfish, you will gradually separate yourself from your friends until one day you will surely die alone. _

Was this related to him avoiding Erza, Natsu, Lucy and the others? Was he disregarding their concerns about his behaviour..? Did that count as disregarding their time? Was he selfish for taking the high reward quest for himself?

If so, he was beginning to really feel like a jerk for the way in which he'd been acting over the past three months since becoming an S-Class mage.

_You will surely die alone. _

What an awful thing to say.

* * *

_**E**arly **N**ext **M**orning_

Nudging. Again. What a way to wake your guests. No good morning, no offer of breakfast within earshot. Fortunately Gray did not have a hangover—even though he had consumed a rather large amount of alcohol last night—so he wasn't snappy at the mayor's wife (her name was..?)

Gray was led straight outside to the well where one of the villagers was already waiting for him with a dry looking chunk of bread. Once he took it and ate it the villager waited expectantly by the fresh trough of water.

Gray understood what he wanted but he'd only just bitten into the miserable breakfast and he knew that he'd need his energy for whatever work that he'd be set. If the new guy was going to be impatient then Gray was going to make him wait.

_Why had the__re__ been a feast last night?_ Gray risked voicing his question, "what was with last night?" The man in question shrugged before pointing to the bucket. _At least he didn't tell me to be quiet, that's good I suppose. _Regrettably, Gray's curiosity had not been satisfied.

He poured hundreds of ice cubes into the bucket like he'd done yesterday and although he usually enjoyed the feeling of helping out it just wasn't the same when he did not receive any thanks or at least a smile. He didn't feel appreciated even though he knew that his ice magic was of great utility.

"Come."An order came from an all too familiar voice. _Andriaa. What's she going to say to me next? _

"Oh don't look at me like that..._"_ She crossed her arms—in what Gray assumed could only be a pout—and continued, "today we harvest the rozova."

_Hmm, she may be scary—or even dangerous—but at least she'll probably answer my question._

"Why was there a party last night?_" _

"Did I not tell you your time is precious?_" _She snapped at him, her voice getting dangerously low, "Now come," she ordered.

_Was that supposed to be the answer to my question?_ Gray could not shake away all of the nagging questions from his conscience since arriving here and by far the most nagging question of all so far would be:_ Why is she telling me my time is precious?_

* * *

_**D**ay **T**hree_

_Well, if my time _is_ precious, these people sure aren't treating it that way. _5AM. That is the time at which Gray had awoken on this morning. The _same_ method of rousing had been used—that is: nudging. The _same_ lump of dry bread had been his breakfast—he'd noticed that he'd not since been treated to the high quality food like he had been two days ago. He'd been working for two hours already and been doing the _same_ labour he'd been doing yesterday.

Harvesting.

The heavy manual labour had certainly taken its toll on his body as he now found his back aching from leaning down to pick the fruits. His face now displayed a prominent red burn and he swore he would be coughing up red sand for weeks to come.

Fortunately, the message he had been waiting to receive had just arrived. Gray was interrupted from franticly sawing at the thick, dry vines to free the delicious fruit prize from its tangled prison when he saw a shadow encroach his vision. Turning around, he saw the mayor, wearing his sunglasses as usual, holding out a map, a canteen and what Gray assumed to be a bag of supplies.

Without a word spoken, the supplies were dumped into Gray's arms while the mayor jabbed furiously at a red mark on the map.

Gray opened his mouth to speak but he was surprisingly cut off. The mayor gave him a forceful push in the direction of the road out.

"You go now to point of intercept. Wait for them there in ambush, hurry up now," the mayor explained crudely, "bye-bye now!" He said this all while grinning manically.

_Great, I've barely had any sleep at all, I ache all over from all the manual work, I'm burnt, and now I'm being kicked out. Way to treat a guest._

* * *

_**S**everal **H**ours **L**ater_

Gray was poised behind a rock in the position in which the caravan would supposedly be passing through shortly. Gray tipped the last few drops of water from his canteen into his mouth before refilling it with ice. Being an ice mage in the desert was actually turning out to have more advantages than he originally thought. Who else would have instant access to water at any time?

Despite this, Gray was not actually in a fighting mood. On the first day he'd arrived at the village he'd thought that he would take his months of building frustration out on whoever crosses his path. However, since then he'd been vigorously put to work while thinking deeply about the questions which plagued his mind.

Does he _like_ Ultear?

Is he _really_ pushing his friends away?

_Why_ is his time precious?

What is _with_ Terraminos?

But no matter how much he thought about all the various different possibilities and outcomes of these questions, there wasn't an answer in sight. He'd never felt such emotions as love in that way—in fact 'like' was pushing it. Asides from love of his parents—if he could remember that far back, he loved his teacher Ur as family, he loved his guild-mates as family... so that brought him to the next question. Why was he pushing them away? Did he admit that this was indeed the case? Or was Andriaa just getting to him?

This was pointless. More questions entailed each original question. The job at hand was what he should be focussing on.

Gray looked around at his surroundings, taking in what was new. The area was surrounded by tall crimson sand dunes and Gray was hiding amongst the grey stones of a ruined temple in the slight valley formed by these dunes. The ruins and the sand dunes provided shade – elsewhere the rays of sun could practically be felt as if they had mass_. _

The ice mage was just about to nod off when he saw a very slight shimmer, and movement in the distance.

Cautiously, he created a layer of ice around his hiding space. It was designed to reflect light in such a way that it appeared like a rock surface but from the inside, vision was clear as a window.

So he now safely observed the movement he had caught before. The shimmers suddenly took shape, a group of blurry black silhouettes. They phased in closer—gradually becoming clearer and taking more shape.

Finally they were standing next to a group of thick columns surrounding what Gray assumed to be the entrance to the monolithic site.

He could finally observe them closely. It was quite a strange thing however. They were all wearing matching uniforms. They wore robes, large hats which were attached to the robes and... veils. Just like the people of Terraminos. There appeared to be two groups: one wore navy blue robes and carried sabres with well... burgundy hilts just like the guild name: 'Burgundy Scimitar'; the other group wore white robes and carried no weapons in sight.

The second group were all helping to carry a sedan chair which had beautiful carved wooden decorations and lattice windows which obscured whoever was sat inside. They stopped moving for a minute but did not set it down.

_Well it's now or never._ Gray decided to make his move.

The ice camouflage was dispelled and shattered as Gray emerged from his hiding place.

Before he could attack with the ice lances he was planning, he was knocked off balance when an intense wind descended upon the valley. He shielded his eyes from the needle like sand that was blown around as a result. When he decided it was safe to uncover his eyes, the wind had not completely settled and the dark robed group had all drawn their swords at him.

_Element of surprise gone, but never mind I can still attack them. _Just as Gray was about to do so, he heard a deep female voice that sounded like an order. Gray could not understand what was said but he noticed that none of the dark wizards were attacking him so he paused to see what would happen next.

The white robed group set down the sedan chair and the door slowly opened with a loud creaking noise. Gray first saw the full length pink silk dress followed by its owner. A tall veiled woman with long, wavy green hair who wore black gloves which went past her elbows, leaving only her biceps exposed had emerged.

Gray could hear the surprise in the dark guild members' voices as they muttered incomprehensible things while the green haired woman stepped towards him.

"At long last, you are finally here," her voice was gravelly but each word was very clearly pronounced.

_What? _Gray's breath caught and he found himself unable to speak.

"After so many years, finally I can have my way..." Gray could hear the wicked intent in her voice and all of his instincts told him to either remove the threat now or run away. But he didn't, and the woman was slowly drawing closer and closer, dangerously so.

She put her right hand to left and pulled away the black glover... revealing... her hand was made of diamond! She drummed her fingers menacingly against her 'palm', each time Gray heard the clinks of her razor-like nails against the hard crystal surface. _What the hell is she going to do to me?_

Gray had had enough of observing, and got into the ice-make stance ready to push back her advance.

Hindrance to this 'plan' came in the form of Gray being surrounded by rocks, boulders and sand. They spun around them, blocking Gray's vision for a good thirty seconds until they ceased... and Gray felt the cold metal of a _very _sharp blade against his neck. This was courtesy of one of the presence behind him who had just... materialised and held him such a way that he could not move at all without risk of imminent death.

For a moment there was only silence, broken only by the new wind while Gray comprehended the possible outcomes of his current predicament - most of which ended with the knife lodged in his throat.

"What is the meaning of this, Lazara!?" The woman who Gray had gathered was some kind of leader—if not the guild master—barked. That certainly surprised Gray. _So this 'Lazara' guy is going against orders? _Gray didn't really know who was more dangerous. The rest of the dark robed group all had turned their attention to the one who was threatening him. It dawned on Gray... _Am I a hostage?_

"You're wrong about this guy, pathetic 'Sage', there is a far more capable subject!"

"So you're a traitor? Is that it!?" the 'Sage' shouted. "If he is really the wrong subject then why aren't you killing him immediately? What use is he to you?"

"Hahaha! Do you really think I'm that simple minded. The one who is actually powerful enough for completion is closer than you think. This boy is only useful as a hostage." As if to emphasise his point, Lazara slowly drew the knife across Gray's throat, drawing small droplets of blood. Gray flinched at the stinging sensation as his heart pounded in his rib cage.

"STOP!" she screamed, "what did you mean by that?" she spoke slightly more calmly.

"What I mean is..." he raised his head up to the high sand dune where there was a pile of stones and a high flying flag. Everyone followed his gaze up. He then bellowed at the top of his voice, "WE KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE SO JUST GET DOWN HERE IF YOU WANT THIS BOY TO LIVE!"

Gray hadn't a clue who Lazara was speaking about but he wasn't going to get a chance to know. The wind suddenly became oppressively strong, taking the breath out of everyone. The roaring sound came first and what followed the wind was not a sand storm but more like a _wall_ of sand. The wall of sand impacted with the gathering of people and threw Gray's attacker far, far away. As Gray was ripped out of the man's grasp, the knife caught against this throat, successfully deepening the already painful cut into a dangerous gash.

No-one had any control of their bodies as they were suspended in the air at the mercy of the sand and thrown around like rag dolls. Amidst the utter chaos Gray felt a constricting grip on his ankle. He whipped his head down towards the source where his gaze fell upon something he would never ever forget.

.

.

.

Those eyes. Eyes which burnt his soul. The Sage's veil had been thrown off in the storm and now she stared him in the face with tiny black reptilian eyes which could only be described as hungry. A searing heat-like pain rose from her grip where her diamond claws pierced his leg.

Moments later he lost consciousness when he was slammed into into the desert floor. Everything went dark, but just like sun spots, the sage's eyes did not escape his peripheral vision.

He felt... branded.

* * *

…

_.: **E**nd **o**f **C**hapter **5** :._

…

_.: **T**o **B**e **C**ontinued :._

…

* * *

**Wow, such cliffhanger. I hope you enjoyed the length of this chapter.**

**As to the questions from the AN, I wanted to know if people like how descriptive I'm being. I believe that if writing a story, every single scene should be described enough so that you can actually picture it when reading. For example I like to constantly reference the heat of the desert, the sun and the sand. The setting drives me to obsession – what better embodiment of despair is there than a desert? Also, up until last chapter nothing much really happened and I guess I kind of needed to know if people were sticking with the story, I like to go really slowly with a lot of atmosphere, plot building and hints and not everyone enjoys this I think. BTW I think this story is now ¼ of the way through.**

**So onto the second second set of questions...**

**1) What do you think of Terraminos and its inhabitants?**

**2) What do you think of Andriaa?**

**3) What have you guessed from the hints?**

**4) What do you think now that you've seen Gray's POV of the confrontation?**

**5) Is the new summary better, if you read the old one, if not, is the the summary good?**

**Again, answering these questions will be very useful to me.**

_**Review time, haven't done this in a while (I won't answer all reviews - especially repeated instances since last time—but every single one has my thanks.)**_

**_blueAztec:_ _You're welcome. And keep up the writing of your own story. _**

**_Mira-san7: _**_**Yes, and Gray will be making plenty more mistakes... just wait and see. I am glad you like the quality of descriptions as well, as I said I like describing everything, I only leave something vague if it adds to the story.**_

**_XXChiasaHamuraXx: _**_**I'm glad, next chapter you will find out just who that author is... ish. **_

**_PlutoGenesis:_**_** In due time...**_

**_MANSPLICE: _**_**What may I spend these GrayTear points on?**_

**_AsDarknessSpreads: _**_**Great to see you enjoying the story... and being a sadist...**_

**_Kakarot: _**_**Good to see you got that at chapter 2. Gray is very stubborn though and won't admit something like that so easily. Glad that you enjoy this story.**_

**_Sal: _**_**Good to see that my cliffhangers are the 'right cliffhangers' I hope this one does not disappoint. And unfortunately I can't rely on luck for six maths exams and two physics exams... I deeply regret my subject choice.**_

_**Thank you all reviewers, favourites and followers for your continued support! **_

**_One final note, if you're a non-member follower of this story, I only update on Saturdays or Sundays if that's any help._**


	6. Chapter 6 - Amidst the Storm

_**P**reviously_

Those eyes. Eyes which burnt his soul. The Sage's veil had been thrown off in the storm and now she stared him in the face with tiny black reptilian eyes which could only be described as hungry. A searing heat-like pain rose from her grip where her diamond claws pierced his leg.

Moments later he lost consciousness when he was slammed into into the desert floor. Everything went dark, but just like sun spots, the sage's eyes did not escape his peripheral vision.

He felt... branded.

* * *

_**Day Count: 11 Days since the start of Chapter 2. Three more days until the events from the prologue.**_

* * *

…

_.: **B**efore **H**er **T**ime **R**uns **O**ut :._

…

_.: _**C**hapter **6**_ :._

…

_.: **A**midst **T**he **S**torm :._

_..._

* * *

_**C**urrently_

Sand... so much sand. It was all that existed now as far as Gray was concerned.

He had never in his life felt such hatred towards an inanimate substance. The sand was what ultimately ruled the desert, moving things at its will, hiding and obscuring, eroding and conquering.

The desert was removing the intruders. These _people_ had just shown up and walked all over it as if they could move freely across its expanses without trouble and as much as it conveniences them. So, as if making a move to suppress the intrusion, a storm had been sent to reaffirm order.

The air was thick with the grains of minuscule red rocks, removing vision, hurting and separating. A perfect formula for chaos. It showed no signs of subsiding either.

Gray was at least thankful for escaping the life or death situation albeit not without serious injury to his neck. What he was not thankful for was that he had been blown for all he knew _miles _away from the dark guild wizards so he could no longer fight them. If he could no longer subdue them then his mission would be failed. The dark guild would escape into whatever secret desert passageways they knew of, never to be seen again.

Or worse.

Gray recalled that the 'Sage' wanted HIM. For nefarious purposes most likely.

The Sage.

Gray shuddered at those eyes which had been marked in his memory. The breaking grip on his ankle which burned him all the way up to his knee. This was cause to Gray's second—lesser—injury.

As of now, he could not walk properly. He hobbled without knowing where he was going. He was walking blind, injured and alone in an unknown location with enemies dotted around; possibly lurking, waiting, watching. Yes, they still wanted him. They would trap him in his vulnerable state and do who knows what.

_On second thought it might just be better to wait out this storm._

Gray pushed himself flat on the ground to let the wind pass over him, the sand chaffing at his dry, baked skin. Each grain of sand that was flung at him left a tiny scratch... building up to a whole lot of discomfort. The orange clothes which the village had gifted him just two days ago were in tatters but Gray was very thankful that he'd left them on since they provided him with a little relief.

But he could do better. He brought his two hands together to form the disguise type ice barrier which he'd used earlier. The sheet of special ice crept up from behind his feet, moving slower than usual due to having to overcome the powerful gale force winds. Eventually it formed a shielding dome around Gray's flat lying form.

It was relief beyond comparison. Not only was he no longer open to the elements but the cold air helped to numb his various pains.

Gray could now focus on his more serious injury. He was fast loosing blood from the gash in his neck; he was incredibly lucky that the knife did not reach his throat. If it had he'd be dead for sure.

Fortunately, Gray knew a way he could help himself. The beauty of ice make magic was the power of creation; it was an excellent multi-purpose tool which was good for more than merely fighting. Gray was an intelligent individual who could wield his imagination to its full purpose and over the years he'd developed far more techniques than the originals which Ur had taught him.

One of such techniques was this one. Gray placed his right palm flat over the cut while his left hand formed a fist placed on top. He breathed in to calm himself and maintain stability while he focused intensely, pinpointing the exact spot and then... There! The ice manifested into an incredibly thin and flexible wire. Gray let the wire spool out of his hand as it pierced his skin before weaving itself through until the cut was completely sewn shut.

After this was done he breathed in heavily and released the tension. Gray had found that the intricate techniques like this one actually used up far more magic power than the big powerful ones. In this case especially so because he was forced to use unmelting ice.

The blood had ceased to flow down his neck. Gray lay down, much more relaxed now that he had treated his injury as he let the raging storm pass over his icy hideout. The howling winds accompanied him in his solitude; all the while he let himself recall fragments of the weird event from earlier.

_WE KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE SO GET DOWN HERE IF YOU WANT THIS BOY TO LIVE._

Gray had been a hostage held by this 'Lazara' guy. Come to think of it, throughout the encounter he had been referred to against someone else. The conflict within Burgundy Scimitar seemed to revolve around him.

_After so many years, finally I can have my way._

_You're wrong about this guy, pathetic sage, there is a far more capable subject. _

_The one who is actually powerful enough is closer than you think._

Who was this other person? Why is Gray relevant to whatever the dark guild is plotting and why do they disagree about who they need to the point of taking hostages? More immediately, they said this other person was close by so where are they?

It was just hopeless. No way did Gray have the chance to find out when this storm had split everyone up and was preventing him from walking.

So what was Gray to do other than remaining still for the time being? The only movement was outside. The storm, the howling winds, the sheer force and scale; they were all testament to the ultimate power over life and death that the Earth itself held – much more so than even the most powerful mage alive.

Despite the pelting received by the barrier it remained steadfast. It helped Gray to rest for the passing hours until finally, with one last shriek, the storm at once retreated, leaving Gray in eerie silence. Gray let the sheet of ice dissolve into thin air as he stood cautiously on his pained leg.

The unknown injury caused Gray to hobble through the void. Visibility had not yet returned as the dust stirred by the event had not settled. Instead, a brown-red mist of the stuff had choked up the air. While Gray could not see exactly where the sun was, he could feel its rays penetrating the dust cloud. Coupled together—the dust and the sun—made for a very stifling combination that made breathing very laborious. It was as much as Gray could do to cover his mouth with cloth to prevent himself from inhaling the stuff.

He walked on for another hour in the dark heat, without a clue as to where he was going. Hope. He ambled on as he reinforced himself with this prospect. Never giving up; that was what it meant to be a Fairy Tail mage. An S-class. No, Gray would keep going on until his feet bled, then he'd bandage them up and carry on. Even if it was for weeks filled with only the sound of his footsteps on sand.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

"Gah!" Gray couldn't help but cry out on that last step. An intense pain had shot up from his ankle where the Sage had grabbed him. He felt he could no longer stand on it. Realising this, he pushed his hands out in front of him ready to fall and it was not long before his posture crumbled when his leg eventually gave way. Gray tumbled down the steep sand dune which he'd unfortunately been standing at the top of. He turned and turned as he rolled down it, his arms flailing this way and that, reaching out for anything to grip onto, until he'd finally stopped and...

Crumple.

That was odd. His right hand had grabbed a handful of something that was certainly not sand. It felt like... paper? Definitely paper, Gray brought the object closer to his face for further inspection. He felt he could kiss the thing. A map! Never before had the squiggly lines looked so beautiful.

Looking around, Gray noticed a few more items strewn across the sandy embankment. One particular gleam caught his eye and he made his way towards it for a closer look. Recognising it as the hilt of a sword, he took hold of it and began to pull, hard. It was taking significantly more effort than he thought it would so putting all of his strength behind one tug he lifted the gleaming blade free of his hand... and all but jumped back in shock.

Gray could see what what was making it so difficult to lift.

.

.

.

A hand, dripping with blood was adamantly holding the sharp edge despite the obvious—and serious—injury caused as a result of such an action. The hand was—not surprisingly—connected to an arm sticking out of the steep dune. In a flash, the sword had been stabbed into the ground and was used being used as an anchor to pull the body free of its underground confinement. More and more sand shifted as the body moved, billowing in a great stream, it made way for what lay beneath. More of the red liquid tainted the silver of the sword due to the hand's tightening grip and increased strain whilst holding it.

At last, the body was free. Letting out a small chuckle, he turned to Gray amusedly. "Heh... so there you are. If I capture you now then the Sage will surely look favourably upon me..." His voice was dry and rasped. Gray gave him a long, judging look. What little was left of his robes were torn and shredded and his veil was missing; leaving Gray fully able to see his tiny beady eyes. They were reptilian in nature and very similar to the ones of the Sage only not nearly as scary.

This guy was not scary.

Gray was not afraid. Gray decided to let him attack first so that he could get a gage on his power.

"Open! Gate of the Seventh Moon!" The man reached for a black key on his belt and made an unlocking gesture, "Stonozka!" he bellowed. There was a piercing roar. The ground below Gray's feet shook and trembled, and this continued while building up to the moment when it all parted as a massive black shape blotted out the light.

Gray dodged when the black shape lunged at him. He felt the whoosh of air as the long figure rushed past him with incredible speed. He also managed to get a closer look.

The thing—beast or something—had the form of a gigantic centipede with ashy armour plates protecting pod like segments which oozed with black goo. To say it was disgusting was an understatement but Gray had seen worse and this did not phase him whatsoever.

Its speed on the other hand. That was a different matter. The beast weaved around after having lunged at Gray and skilfully turned back on its target. Gray was caught unaware when its head slammed into his back. The ice mage was sent flying into the sand from this attack but before he could get back up, the centipede had followed up with an attempt to crush Gray between its pincers. Gray pushed back up against the tremendous force and began to freeze up its jaws so that it they could no longer move.

Sensing that its attempt was not working, the centipede withdrew slightly and the man in the distance made a gesture with his sword pointing it downwards. Following the command, the beast dived straight downwards, disappearing into the ground. Gray could feel the slight tremors in the ground.

_Your loss, _Gray thought.

"Ice Make: Floor!" A vast, thick sheet of ice spread out from beneath Gray's feet, covering the sand in light blue.

Gray could now feel the tremors even more profoundly then before. He patiently awaited for a change in the constitution of these vibrations until he finally realised that the centipede was fast approaching the surface.

He sincerely hoped that he'd judged the location correctly as he readied his next attack, "Ice Make: Lances!" Instead of bursting upwards out of the ice floor, they piled down into the sand.

Crack. The centipede smashed through the ice floor.

"RAAAAAARRRRRGH!" The amplitude of the scream coming from the beast was high enough to force Gray to cover his ears. The centipede had indeed emerged from the ground but several of Gray's lances were lodged deep in its head, black ooze trickled out where the shell had been pierced. The cracks ventured out from the ice lances' penetrations and spread across the entirety of the insectoid body. The fracturing gradually stopped and the spirit disappeared with a final burst of black goo.

Gray turned to his opponent, expecting him to pull out another gate key but he did not see what he'd been expecting to.

"You bastard!" Gray felt a very weak punch to his chest. The man whom he'd been fighting was red and had tears streaming from his eyes. He followed up with a series of punches and kicks which Gray made no attempt to dodge. He was far too confused; _the guy is a celestial spirit mage right?_ Lucy's spirits always got knocked around but she never acted like this...

..._FLASHBACK..._

"_Mother, look what I found!" A young boy held a black key dangling from a chain._

"_You shouldn't be touching that! You do know what that is right!?"_

_The boy nodded._

"_Sasho, that key is sacrilege!" The woman snatched the item away from the boy's grasp._

"_But Stonozka is my friend!" He snatched the key chain back from his mother and ran before she could stop him._

_...FLASHBACK ENDS..._

_The Sage was the only one who listened to me. The only one who would take me in in my mother's place. I OWE HER! I OWE STONOZKA, MY ONLY FRIEND! _The celestial wizard 'Sasho' gave Gray a murderous glare as he charged at him with his sword drawn.

_Too easy, _Gray thought. Just as Sasho was about to bring his blade down across his chest, Gray grabbed his wrist and twisted the hilt out of his grasp. The man screamed in agony when he only just realised the pain of the cut in his hand from earlier. Gray took no sympathy as he kicked him to the ground.

This was his chance to get some answers.

Gray pointed the sword at Sasho's neck as he began his interrogation, "who is the Sage?" he demanded. "What does she want with me?"

"Hahahaha! You think I would tell _you_?" Sasho spat back.

"You're a fool to think you have a choice in this matter!" Gray kicked him in his side for emphasis.

Sasho winced but remained determined, "I would never betray her trust!"

Gray realised that he was getting nowhere; the guy was completely off his head. But why? It appeared to have been triggered by the celestial spirit's loss. "Why were you so upset, it's a celestial spirit, it'll just come back." Gray used a softer tone of voice.

Now he'd done it, gone was the manic smile and in its place was the same angered, confused and upset expression from before. "What the hell would you know? Stonozka is not a celestial spirit!" He tried to get up but Gray place his foot on his shoulder to prevent that from happening. "Stonozka was my friend and you destroyed him!" Sasho was seething with rage and his response only confused Gray more. More tears gathered in his glassy black orbs.

"What?" was Gray's reaction.

Instead of speaking, Sasho reached for something in between his robes and pulled it out. It was too late when Gray realised what he was doing.

A pill.

He had swallowed a pill. Now he he had begun convulsing and shaking slightly. Gray discarded the sword and dropped to his knees besides the fallen enemy.

"What did you do!?" Gray shouted.

"Hahaha!" He had gone mad again, "just remember this: the sage has great things planned and not a single person will stand in her way. Not you, not the other candidate and definitely not the Sultan! That filthy old man will rot!" He was laughing uncontrollably but that was the least of Gray's concerns, for the man appeared to be fading.

For the first time since their fight, Gray truly looked at his opponent. Pity. That was what Gray felt in that moment. This guy appeared to be so young; his matted brown hair splayed across his face, soaked with sweat and shaded his eyes. But Gray saw them; the hatred, the sadness and the raw emotion betrayed by them despite their inhuman nature was all to clear. He was in pain.

With one last laugh, Sasho was gone. With one last convulsion he had dissolved. His body now crumbled into sand and was gone with the wind. The last evidence of his presence was his clothes, for his spirit key too had crumbled into dust.

Gray looked on in awe as the space which had once been occupied by his enemy was now empty. He punched the ground in sheer frustration. He had only been given more questions. Question upon question piled on Gray's conscience, weighing him down immensely.

Who is the Sultan and what is his relation to the Sage?

Who is the 'other candidate'?

What was wrong with that spirit key and the mage?

Did he commit suicide!? And for what?

Gray stood up, checked the map and headed out. The one place where he could find rest and possibly answers was merely hours away. Terraminos. The village which had given him so much stress over the past few days.

This time he would be more forceful. He would _demand_ answers, and get them to talk whatever the cost. A single ray of sun poked its way through the dust cloud. If the storm was the embodiment of Gray's confusion then the light guided him along his defiant path, searching for the truth. Right now the light was only minuscule, but soon the dust would clear and the light would prevail.

But in the desert, was the sun really what Gray wanted?

* * *

…

_.: **E**nd **o**f **C**hapter **6** :._

…

_.: **T**o **b**e **C**ontinued :._

…

* * *

**Hmm what to say... sorry I can't always do really long chapters. I hope that this one was satisfactory. I actually barely managed to get it out in time; I've been pretty busy lately and was away for two days so I could not write. I know I said that you'd find out who the author is in this chapter but that'll have to wait some more. **

**Ah, and I hope you don't get mad at me introducing even more vague, questionable things but I did tag this story as mystery. So at least you know that everything will be answered fully in due time.**

**But there is something that I would ask; should I have done a proper, full flashback for Sasho or is just the bare minimum like I did best? I didn't want to bore anyone with long flashbacks about a seemingly irrelevant character. **

**Also, new questions:**

**1) What do you think will happen once Gray gets back to the village?**

**2) What do you make of Sasho's situation?**

**3) Should I have done a fully detailed flashback? I can still change that if it's something you want. **

_**Review Time:**_

_**AsDarknessSpreads:**** Creepy lady indeed. It's even creepier once I reveal more about the village. I hope this chapter amended some of those concerns – i.e. Gray was strong and smart in this chapter; last chapter I tried to make it so he was the victim of circumstances e.g. the physical labour, the confusion, the sandstorm etc. **_

_**blueAztec:**** The summary literally took up every single available character so it better be fine...**_

_**Sal:**** You will find out more about the village soon. You are not supposed to like Andriaa either; so I'm glad about that, that is the kind of personality I was going for. Well, Gray kicked **_**someone's**_** ass in this chapter – I hope the fight scene was OK they usually take me forever to write since it's difficult to make fight scenes engaging. I try to make them interesting, significant and not just meaningless filler content. Also I prefer fights which aren't about power alone.**_

_**xXkutsarahXx:**** Thanks, also I agree about the Gray/Erza thing. **_

**I'll try to get an update for next Saturday, but if not I apologise in advance. I won't disappear or anything. Also I said I will only update on Sat/Sun but more likely it will only be Saturday since Sunday is when I update my crack story and I don't want them both on the sort by updated page... o_O**


	7. Chapter 7 - Lost, Found and Missing

_**A/N: Ah, sorry for taking two weeks!**_

* * *

_**T**he **S**tory **S**o **F**ar_

_**Gray was informed of a suitable location for an ambush whereby he could intercept the dark guild caravan. Ultear and Crime Sorciere have been tailing this caravan for several days. Whilst confused about its disappearance, she observes Gray confronting several of the dark wizards – only to get taken hostage in the hope to lure Crime Sorciere to them. However, before anything could come of the situation, an abnormally powerful storm appeared and split everyone up. Now, Ultear searches for her missing comrades and Gray.**_

* * *

…

_.: _**_B_**_efore _**_H_**_er_ **_T_**_ime _**_R_**_uns _**_O_**_ut__ :._

…

_.: _**C**hapter **7**_ :._

…

_.: _**_L_**_ost, _**_F_**_ound _**_a_**_nd _**_M_**_issing__ :._

_..._

* * *

**_C_**_urrently_

How was it possible for a storm to hold so much power? It wasn't _normal _for a storm to simply lift one up off their feet and throw them around like they were made of cotton. This _thing _was like a freak of nature.

It just served to remind Ultear of how insignificant she is in this world.

Sure she could reverse the time of objects at her disposal, propel crystal balls from multiple parallel universes into a single future and create ice sculptures designed to kill... but just _looking_ at the vastness, the emptiness and the loneliness of this untouched space made her feel like an ant. Just _feeling _the loss of control, suspended in the air like a puppet... what a nerve racking experience.

"MEREDY!" She called out.

No response.

"JELLAL!"

Once again, she had no luck.

Hesitantly, she thought of someone else.

"GRAAAAY!" Her hopes of finding her comrades—like her voice—were lost as but a whisper upon the dwindling desert winds. The shout resounded across the void, echoing as she expectantly observed the surrounding expanses from her vantage point atop a rocky outcrop. Sadly, her efforts were in vain. There was no sign of movement, and the solitude—the full effect of the reflective calm after the storm—engulfed her.

What exactly _had_ happened?

All she remembered was looking upon the man with the knife to Gray's throat before the wind began to pick up and then... a cascade of sand...

She must have lost consciousness at some point after the initial strike of the storm – it was the only explanation as to why she had awoke with her head buried in dirt, a terrible headache and bruising all over. The injuries weren't that bad – she'd suffered a lot worse before. So, after that, she'd dusted herself off, repaired her clothes using Arc of Time and set off on her search.

Her fruitless search.

Hours of trekking through the dust cloud had yielded nothing but sore feet. The most frustrating thing is that she'd been so close to... something!

She didn't really know what exactly she would have encountered... but she heard an ear splitting wail – one which was definitely not human. Not that she particularly wanted to see the source of said noise, but any lead was a good lead. Finding anyone out here would be progress—whether it be friend or foe—it didn't really matter. If it be friend – she could regroup, and if it be foe then she could defeat them to gain information that would help complete Crime Sorciere's objective – the reason why she was out here in the first place.

However, to know that she had been so close... how had she _not _found it – it must have been something _big _in order to make such a ground quaking scream_._

Well, not much point in dwelling on it. Now was the time to... continue searching.

Ultear was just about to shade her eyes with her hand when suddenly—if only a pinprick against the backdrop—she saw movement in the distance. Honing in on the direction she tried to pinpoint the location and source. About to resign the occurrence as a figment of her imagination, she turned to descend from her vantage point before suddenly, the minuscule movement was anew.

This time she saw it more clearly – a tiny silhouette amongst the otherwise static red dunes. Putting the direction in her memory, she rapidly scrambled down the rocks and onto the sharp, sandy incline, not caring as to how sloppy her movements as cause of her feet's ever-shifting purchase.

She had to reach this person. In this, she could not fail.

The rest of her journey was a blur, tripping several times the time mage kept pushing herself back up before running some more. The process repeated itself, and each time, just a little more strength left her. Each time she stood on her knees, they felt a little more shaky. Each step was a little more precarious, with a higher chance of her falling.

It was when she was collapsed atop the crest of a particularly large slope that she thought that she could truly go no further. Her pants were too heavy, her lungs craving for a level of oxygen that could not be sated, especially when each mouthful was the _desert itself_ – hot and dry. Running across sand was really on a whole other level. Her head sunk itself in the ground as she let the granules sift between her fingers while incrementally increasing the pressure in her arms required for... getting back up.

Easier thought than done. Her body rejected the process and all she could manage was a lift of her head. But it was worth it.

"Gray..." she whispered to herself.

She wasn't entirely sure of it herself... but if the mop of jet black hair and the same orange clothes as he was wearing when last she saw him were of any indication then she had located Gray.

For some reason that realisation filled her with more elation than if she'd found Jellal or Meredy. Weird. It could be that she just wanted him to know that he wasn't alone out here or it could be something else entirely... Maybe it was just her acting protective – after all, Gray should surely be like an adoptive brother or something. Maybe it was her duty to protect him – following the footsteps of her mother. That had a nice sound to it.

Yes, that was her duty. Gray had given her a second chance in life and she was not going to let it go to waste.

Which is why catching up to him was of paramount importance. Who knows what the members of that creepy 'dark guild' would do him – after all they had clearly wanted him for something twisted. Gray had to know that he was not alone in his struggle.

Knowing this gave her new-found strength to push forward. That was what this was about; it was a mentality – this space was not impossible to move across, one just had to break it down into small achievable goals.

The first goal—getting up—was complete albeit not without a lengthy struggle. Once standing firmly, she reassured herself in seeing that the ice mage had not managed to walk much further during the time taken. The second goal—getting Gray's attention was next.

"GRAY!" Ultear pushed the word out of her overworked lungs. There was no visible reaction from him. Not one to be deterred after her initial attempt failing she tried again, "Gray!" It was a little weaker this time.

Resolving the lack of reaction to mean that Gray was out of earshot she commenced her third goal – simply catching up. This time she was stronger in her strides. Each time she felt like collapsing she paused to catch her breath and take a gulp of water from her canteen. Her mindset and method kept her rooted and strong.

"Gray! It's me, Ultear!" She tried to catch his attention before he disappeared from view over the horizon of the slope before her.

"Damn..." she cursed under her breath. She was so close; enough that she couldn't afford another break. Her advance continued up what seemed like the millionth dune today. She got on all fours in order to scale the steepest part of the incline; emerging on top panting and drenched with sweat on her sunburned skin, she was successful.

She looked up to check on her process only to be pelted with a sudden burst of wind and sand straight in her eyes.

It stung. A lot.

Muttering a string of profanities, she rubbed the irritating granules free from her bleary, tear streaked eyes, her vision returning shortly.

Impossible!

Gray was gone. Ultear rubbed her eyes as if that would dispel what she considered to be such a depressing illusion. She was so close to him; he was only a few metres ahead of her! So how? How did he just go?

This revelation made her question her own perception of this space. How could she know what was real and what wasn't? As far as she knew, her sighting of Gray could not be classified as a mirage – she'd never heard of the resulting illusion of such a thing to depict a person. So was she hallucinating? She wasn't dehydrated but she'd certainly hit her head pretty hard. Why would her mind play such a hope-crushing trick?

The question that remained though: was she hallucinating _before _or _now_? Which reality was true and which was a figment of her desperation addled imagination?

The result of all her pent up frustration came in the form of her dropping to her knees and aiming a fist at the ground. In her brief spout of frustration she failed to notice the fresh footprints in the ground before they were carried away by another strong gust of wind.

…

Gray swore he just heard someone calling out his name. He turned his head back to the dune which he had just recently scaled and looked up hopefully to where he assumed he would see a person.

He shielded his eyes from the dazzling sunlight which had recently returned when the dust cloud had finally cleared up.

_Must have been my imagination, _he thought.

There was no one there. Just the same dusty old, lonely desert. What was he expecting anyway? His mind was just playing tricks on him.

Gray sighed as he continued to hike on to his destination at a comfortable pace. He observed how the fluid, sandy dunes were giving way to the rockier, more baked terrain that signalled he was approaching the location of Terraminos.

He wondered how the villagers would react upon hearing that he failed to complete his objective. He'd stumble in all beaten up and dirty, the mayor would scold him, pack him on his way either back home or straight out to try again. Andriaa would probably give him a disappointed look from behind her veil.

It wasn't his fault though! How could he be expected to continue his mission under such weather conditions and without a clear purpose in mind?

* * *

_**H**ours **L**ater_

Well, at least one thing could be confirmed. The map had been correct. That much was true, if the familiar rounded stone buildings, columns and arches of the village were of any indication.

The mellow darkness of the night had begun flooding the settlement; shadows clung to to the monolithic walls and crept up across the fronts of houses in the absence of the bitterly defeated rays of sunlight.

Eventually the full presence of night time had descended upon Gray and captured him in its icy fingers.

Gray stepped through the hardened dirt streets of Terraminos causing loud, echoing footsteps. The sound of which was the only breach of the quiet, still atmosphere.

It was all too similar to the very first night he had arrived at Terraminos. It felt abandoned, empty and lifeless.

.

.

.

Only this time it really was abandoned, empty and lifeless.

Not more than an hour before, Gray had stumbled into the sunset village just like he'd expected, devoid of any energy. Only, all of his other expectations had been amiss. He had not received curious stares, crowding or disappointment. Not when there was no one around to do so. He'd tried shouting out for some one to come, but he had not been graced with a single reaction to his calling.

He'd pounded on the door to the town hall only to stare hard at the wood. He shouted for the mayor at the door, knocked harder and still **nothing. **

He'd turned away and walked to the village well where he half expected to see Andriaa working away at the ropes but instead the bucket lay by the side, half filled and abandoned, with the children's canteens lying around discarded and disused. The water inside glowed with some of the last of the golden glimmer of sunlight and as he passed by the well on the way to the Rozova hill it had all but gone.

Maybe they were all just having a late evening harvest session with every single person involved? Not likely. No, it was here that the sun bode farewell as Gray watched it sink beneath the horizon.

He'd even tried peeking through house windows and at his wits' end had bust inside the town hall but there really was not a single soul residing within the village. Was this some kind of cruel joke? No, worse: what if the villagers had been taken by Burgundy Scimitar? Not like he was going to get an answer any time soon, so these were just more questions added to Gray's long list which had been building up over the past two weeks.

Finally, with not much else to do, Gray had wandered back to the well and chose to lean against the cool stone wall and simply stare into its deep black pit. Like the moonlight, it reflected the sinking sensation he was now feeling.

More accurately; the feeling which best described how he was completely alone and lost, with no clear way of getting back to the nearest civilisation—Ammos Fontana—would be:

Stranded.

* * *

…

_.: **E**nd **o**f **C**hapter **7** :._

…

_.: **T**o **B**e **C**ontinued :._

…

* * *

**First of all, sorry about the pathetic length of this chapter. Sorry about the long wait as well but most likely the next wait will be even longer – most likely three weeks this time. Again, if I am going to update this, it will be on a Saturday. **

**Secondly, next set of questions:**

**1) What do you think happened when Ultear was chasing Gray? How did she miss him?**

**2) Why did the villagers disappear?**

**3) What do you think of this chapter? How are the descriptions? As in: they're not too much?**

**I guess what I was trying to convey in this chapter was the difficulty faced by Ultear even when not in a fighting situation, simply due to the conditions of the environment. I was also trying to build up the complete effect that the solitude of this desert has before I can go into any more action. If I failed this, feel free to criticise. I myself felt a bit iffy about the chase scene – especially that I had to keep repeating the word 'dune,' and also the whole climbing, descending, running thing. Ehhh, I feel exhausted from writing it. On the plus side, I feel like my vocabulary and figurative speech has levelled up or something...**

_**Review Time:**_

_**StuffStuff: ****Thanks for your support. I'm glad you felt bad for Sasho but I can't say whether he's coming back. On the topic of the spirit; it is a very important aspect of this story but is not plot relevant so I'm not sure whether I'm bringing it back or not.**_

_**AsDarknessSpreads:**** No secrets revealed just yet, only more suspense (I hope...) Glad to hear your opinion about flashbacks. I'll just have to explain more detail later probably through conversation. **_

_**BlueAztec:**** Never said it wasn't a spirit but that question is all part of the mystery! And yeah, I'll explain more later.**_

_**Sal:**** Wow, that review really made my day! Sorry you have such an aversion to centipedes. ****But at the same time I am glad that my writing could cause such a reaction. Sasho is used indeed but it's not like he isn't strong it's just that Gray is stronger and I don't think that every single enemy encountered should be a hindrance to a character's progress – rather, I prefer them to be more like something which contains a puzzle piece to the mystery. But there'll be plenty of more difficult enemies later. **_

_**CometothinkofIT:**** Cliffhangers indeed. Not a trap ****exactly though. **_

**Well, that's it for now. I can't distract myself with this story too much! Honestly, I just keep thinking up new stories that I desperately want to start writing – like I really wanna start writing a GraTsu! Stupid exams...**


End file.
